Winter 2001                   Issue 84

We wish you a



and a happy New Year

Ministry team: Robert Morgan (Lower Farm, 748848) priest-in-charge; licensed lay ministers: Brian Andrews (777011);  Liz Shatford (772598) - pastoral assistant and parish chiropodist. Church Wardens: Mrs Marjorie Harris (24 Henley Road) and Ray Lee (93 Henley Road). Organist: Daniel Chambers.

CHRISTMAS SERVICES Sunday December 23rd 11.15 a.m. CHILDREN'S CAROLS 6.30 p.m. CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE Christmas Eve 11.30 p.m. MIDNIGHT MASS Christmas day 8.0 am. Holy Communion (BCP) 10.0 a.m. FAMILY COMMUNION Sunday December 30th 10.0 a.m. Parish Communion (No 11.15 Service) 6.30 p.m. Evening prayer

Lord God, as a miracle of humanity and love, as a word that makes people free, your Son has come to us, and where he comes life is no longer dark and fearful. We pray that he may come to life among us here, that we may not be lost in confusion, obsessed with doubt and discord, but that we may be filled with faith and courage, simplicity and peace.

As the ministry team tries to visit every home in the parish this month (many are out but we try) it is interesting to see how in different ways the Christmas season will be celebrated for what it is up and down the village. There will be relaxation, presents, and above all joy all round (we hope) and joy is of the essence. Communion and fellowship the hardest is on those who will be lonely this Christmas, and all over the world good neighbours will be trying to reduce loneliness.

The geese are getting fat, says the nursery rhyme. But the juice is getting thin. The true spirit of Christmas is eroded where materialism rules and spiritual values are forgotten. We can thicken the brew by singing some carols and celebrating the birth of a child that brings hope to the world:

A big thank you to all those who have given us their support. We now have 26 people on the books, with at least 16 coming every week. We have recently been able to buy some new equipment for the group, including a train set, a farm, some more construction equipment and utensils for the play kitchen. We also had some toys donated from parents clearing out their cupboards. So thanks for those. We also had a stall at the Fete this year. which gave us the opportunity to raise our profile and a few funds. So, thanks to those who made, sold and bought cakes from us.

Each term we organise an outing. So far this year we have been to Wiggy's world and Beale Park, both of which were great fun. We said goodbye to Christine in July as her son, Tom, was starting school. Luckily Nicky was happy to step into her shoes and help with the running of the group.

We recently decided to remain open during half-terms due to popular demand. This term has been very busy. Our Halloween party was a great success with all the children (and a few parents!) dressing up and looking very scarey, as did our pumpkins! We also had a beauty products party one evening. It gave the parents the opportunity to get to know each other without the children around. We enjoyed a glass of wine, a free facial and got to buy a few Christmas pressies. So thanks to Sam and her company Hudsons for hosting the evening, an enjoyable time was had by all. Last week we had a photographer in to take photos of the children. We even attempted a whole toddler group photo!! The term will end with our annual Christmas party and a visit from Father Christmas.

New parents and toddlers are always welcome. If you fancy coming along see the advert on page 8 for details.         Louise

December 31st 7.30 onwards Tickets £2.50 (£1 for children of 5-16) Bring and share a plate of food. Bar by the Fox, local music Tickets from Yvonne Hutton (778403) or Helen Willmot (747648)

IF YOU HAVE TIME TO SPARE ON CHRISTMAS DAY... Oxfordshire Mind opens its East Oxford day centre for people who are experiencing mental health problems - with a traditional Christmas lunch, festive games and quizzes. They need volunteers to lay tables, prepare veg, cook, wash up, talk to members, play games etc. throughout the day. Also offers of lifts. If you can help, please contact Nicky Clargo on 310830. (Donations also welcome to Oxfordshire Mind, 125 Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6AH)

For your diary: QUIZ NIGHT February 9th 7.30

in the Village Hall every Thursday 7.0 for 8.0 - in aid of Village Hall funds

Mobile library Alternate Thursdays 4.0 p.m. outside the Fox [more info]

ALAN BUTLER Your local maintenance man, builder, carpenter. Mature, honest and trustworthy - excellent local references. Sandford- on-Thames tel. 779185. LET THE BUTLER DO IT

	Sandford Toddler Group
Fathers, grandparents, carers and, of course, mothers (new, expectant or old hands!) bring your little ones along... We are a friendly group who meet at the Village Hall, Sandford-on-Thames every Monday between 10-12 during term time (we close over Christmas) Activities, songs, toys, games, giggles! We provide tea, coffee, juice and toast. Each term we organise an outing. Contributions £1 (try your first visit for free) For further details contact: Louise Oxford 396006 Nicky Oxford 771611

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

There would be:

57 Asians 21 Europeans 8 Africans 14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south 52 would be female 48 would be male 70 would be non-white 30 would be white 70 would be non-Christian 30 would be Christian 89 would be heterosexual 11 would be homosexual

6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth         and all 6 would be from a country like Britain. 80 would live in substandard housing         70 would be unable to read 50 would suffer from malnutrition         1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth 1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education         1 would own a computer.

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.

The following is also something to ponder...

	If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
	If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep... you are richer than 75% of this world.
	If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

2. Recycle household waste - a large percentage of our council tax goes in waste disposal. Green boxes are available free of charge from the clerk, at the Old School every house should put out a green box (or any box) of paper and cans to be re-cycled. Put out on Monday with usual waste. Take bottles to bottle banks. Give clothes, unwanted gifts, tools etc to charity shops to recycle.

3. Compost garden waste up to 50% of some bags and wheely bins is said to be compostable. A simple plastic composter will convert all your vegetable waste and garden cuttings into soil improving material. Hopefully the council will soon introduce kerbside green recycling.

4. Don't burn it. Apart from the smell and production of CO2, bonfires are often unnecessary as well as anti-social. Much of the material can and should be composted.

5. Trim your hedge. Check whether your 'garden' encroaches on the pavement obstructing the view for motorists and safe passage for pedestrians.

6. Park on the road and away from junctions. Parking on the pavement makes life difficult for pedestrians and pushchairs. Parking in the road helps slow down traffic. Remember it is an offence to park within 10 metres of a junction as well as being anti-social. It makes the junction more dangerous for all to negotiate (note Church road/Henley road junction).

7. Pick up litter. Not only don't leave rubbish behind you - but follow the example of a number of the villagers who pick it up.

9. Park on the road and not the grass verge. Especially during winter, the grass becomes damaged easily and tyre ruts on verges are most unsightly.

10. Be friendly and get to know your neighbours. This will also help protect against burglary. But as always if you see anything suspicious call the police.

Footnote
At last the signs away from the stadium have been erected. The highways dept. is awaiting advice on the legalities of match day parking bans. The notion of some sort of traffic calming is on the necessary agendas. The traffic appears to have moved onto Grenoble road farthest from Sandford. The stadium is doing earth moving hopeful to create the spaces in the car park that are 'missing'. The football debate has brought more villagers to council meetings a welcome is extended to all villagers who will be guaranteed a chance to speak if they wish. We are your council, spending your money on our village.

Nigel Northcott - chairman, Parish Council

Computer needed: The Causeway Centre, a centre for people suffering from mental ill-health, offers a basic training in computer skills, to help members re-build self-confidence. Our one computer is very much in demand - if anyone (or their place of work) is upgrading and has a PC they could donate - mainly for word-processing - it would be very gratefully received. (A printer would come in handy too!). Phone Prue on 748848.

Breaktime scheme: Carers urgently needed to provide short breaks (from a few hours a week to a few days a month) within your own home for a range of children with disabilities through the Breaktime Scheme. Contact 01865-375515.

Baptisms 15th July Emily Dennis and Hiroshi Gallimore 9th September Sophie and Rory Shanagha November 18th Carys Bufford

Mrs Annie Welch   d.18.10.01, aged 91
Since the death of her husband Frank some six years ago Annie lived with her older sisters Beth (99) and Hilda (98) well-cared for at Mon Choisi in Kennington. Those of us who remember her in better times were saddened by her last few months, but she never lost that smile, even when there were no more words. She and Frank lived in Herschel Crescent, Littlemore. They had met when he sang in the Sandford church choir (with Charlie Pitson) and the Naish girls from the Mill cottages were regular in attendance. The romance lasted over 50 years. She returned to Sandford church for burial with her husband on October, and we sang John Bunyan's 'Who would true valour see'. Our sympathies to John and his family.


Mrs Barbara Donnelly   of 30 Main Avenue
Barbara died in October, a few weeks after Kevin, whose obituary appeared in the September Link. Despite her deafness she always made callers welcome and will be missed by some good neighbours, who took care of her. The funeral was conducted by Liz Shatford who had recently conducted Kevin's too. Our sympathies to their son in Zimbabwe and daughter now back in London for a spell.


Reverend Peter Mayhew   died aged 90 on 10th October
at St John's Home in East Oxford. He was priest-in-charge here for a short period in 1987, and returned from time to time. A noted author, he worked with the Bush brotherhood (in Australia) as a headmaster, and was in India and at Dunkirk in the war. He had good friends in Sandford, some of whom are no longer with us, but those who remember him will continue to treasure the memory of a very remarkable priest.

Welcome to Sandford-on-Thames a village that owes much of its existence to the river in its name. Whilst Roman pottery found in the village indicates manufacturing origins, the river dominates. The fertile land alongside the river promoted agriculture and the water provided power and fishing. Farming and fishing are mentioned in the Doomsday records of the village and soon after there exists records of milling.

The River
The name 'sandford' suggests a river crossing, but unless the flow years ago was much less, or the river much wider is seems unlikely that it was the Thames that was forded. The road that runs parallel to the River in the centre of the village (now the Henley Road but latterly the Nuneham and London road) crosses a small stream. A bridge of relatively recent times (with a tollhouse) stands at what might have been a sandy ford on the outskirts of Oxford for travellers to and from London. If the name relates to the Thames it might have even been a derivation of 'sans'-ford (without ford - sans being Middle English for without).
Indeed within living memory the Kings Arms public house is called 'the ferry' or the ferry at the Kings Arms Hotel. A ferry that took traffic, including horses and carts over the river to Abingdon, once the Berkshire county town. Jerome K Jerome described Sandford as "a good spot for drowning", and indeed the fast flowing river has claimed a number of lives. The watercourse behind the lock house flows from the large 'lasher' weir, below which was a favourite swimming place in the 19 century. In 1921 three students including the adopted son of J.M.Barrie (who wrote

The lock
The lock at Sandford is a relative newcomer; with the first rather crude flash-lock being built around 1620 to assist boats navigating between London and Oxford. In the 1630's Sandford was the site of one of the first pound locks to be built on the river. Today's lock was re-built in 1972-3 and stands alongside the position of the earlier locks.

The Mill
Adjacent to the lock and occupying the land downstream are 'the mill flats' or mill estate. Originally a corn mill that harnessed the river's energy and recorded in 1100 as one owned by monks for bread making. In 1826 the mill was converted to a paper mill and 14 years later was mechanised. The cottages facing the river (now Riverview) were built in 1826 with 'flat' roofs made of tarred paper and were occupied until 1982 by mill workers. Christmas Eve that year saw the mill close for the last time and soon after the chimneys and industrial setting were replaced by the houses that stand on the site today. The listed cottages retain the features that have probably looked out over the river for nearly 200 years. The millrace continues to flow under the footbridge that crosses to the lock.

The Templars
In 1239 Sir Thomas de Sandford gave land to the large Knight Templar enclave in 'Temple Cowley' in Oxford and for a short time the white tunics with red crosses would have been familiar in the village. In 1324 the equally familiar black and white of St John ('the ambulance brigade') dominated. In 1541 they were dissolved by Henry viii and the land returned to private ownership.

Bricks
The wharf adjacent to the Kings arms was used extensively as a wharf for river traffic to the mill and a brick works that existed for 14 years in the village. In 1900 Benfield and Loxley (still a building firm in Oxford) set up a brick kiln exploiting the same clay that the Romans had done centuries before. The engines from the works were taken for war service and in 1920 the chimneys were taken down and the area is now a mobile home site. The name is preserved in Brick Kiln lane that runs eastwards out of the village towards the Science Park and the new football stadium.

The Stink
For years Sandford was renowned for its stink that arose from the sewage treatment works close to where the Science Park is built. In recent years modern sewage measures have replaced the lagoons of decaying material and the smell has gone, but the reputation still remains with older Oxford residents.

Amenities
In 1987 the village lost its last shop; the 'old post office' adjacent to the village church. A car sales centre now occupies the land on which one of the earliest petrol stations stood and which had Lord Nuffield of Morris Motors as one of its regular customers. And which was the sight of Spitfire wing repairs in the Second World War. The village has four public houses! The King's Arms on the river, the

Buses and Shops
An erratic rural bus service serves the village, but only runs along the Henley road (and not Sundays). A better service can be had by crossing the lock and walking up 'Ferry lane', now Sandford lane to Kennington for regular buses to Oxford and Abingdon. The nearest shops for newspapers and provisions is in Kennington, best reached by mooring upstream opposite the house on the island and walking over the railway bridge to the village Co-op. Or wait; 3 miles upstream to Oxford or 5 miles down stream to Abingdon.

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Local Heritage initiative
What gives our village its identity? As you walk in or around Sandford, have you been curious about a particular clump of trees or wondered how an old local building was used in the past? These details, natural and man made, reveal a landscape's history and gives it variety, but often can be overlooked or destroyed with little thought.

The Local Heritage Initiative is a national grant scheme that helps local groups investigate, explain and care for their local landscape. Your local Rural Community Council can put you in touch with them.

Barry and Barbara welcome you to the Catherine Wheel FREEHOUSE 38 Henley Road Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford OX4 4YP Tel: 01865-778340 Hot and Cold Bar Food Traditional Sunday Roast Lunches     Real Ales Large Garden     Ample Car Park Parties and Outside Functions catered for

Henley Road, Sandford on Thames, Oxford OX4 4GX Telephone: (01865) 334444 . Fax: (01865) 334400 WEB http://www.four-pillars.co.uk Email: enquiries@four-pillars.co.uk Set in 30 acres of glorious parkland on the banks of the Thames. Open to non residents for drinks, light meals and riverside dining. Carvery lunch on Sundays. Conferences, Weddings (including Ceremony) and private parties. Telephone 01865 334444.

UK households spend around £50 billion a year on energy and generate 25 per cent of national carbon-dioxide emissions. Global warming is a reality: 1998 was the warmest year on record and this year could see leaves still on trees at Christmas! Unless we take steps, our energy use could lead to more severe storms, crop failures, the re-emergence of diseases such as malaria. Sea levels could rise by as much as 1.5m this century, causing terrible flooding.

The Link will be publishing a few suggestions in each of next year's issues: some will be things you already, some are obvious, some you may not have thought of. If we all did some of them, we could really make a difference.

1. Don't leave lights on in empty rooms and use low-energy light bulbs. They are expensive compared to ordinary bulbs, but can burn for up to 8,000 hours, and during that time will save about £35-worth on your electricity bill. In most homes lighting accounts for 10-15% of the bill.

2. Turnoff electric appliances, such as televisions, VCRs, hi-fi systems, computers, etc., when not in use, rather than leaving them on standby.