News
Pre-School parents win Whitchurch Award
This year’s Whitchurch Award winner, voted for by village residents, was announced at the Annual Village Assembly on Thursday 22nd May. Recognising the remarkable achievement of the parents, committee and trustees at the Whitchurch Pre-School in designing, constructing and fitting out a brand-new school building in a remarkably short time, the Award was made to the team responsible.
As Becky Galea, Secretary of the Pre-School Committee, said at the opening of the school on 17th January this year: “This project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our local community.”
One parent said yesterday that by their concerted efforts, the team had succeeded in saving the school from closure. The community had rallied round and everyone had pitched in. He felt it was very gratifying that their efforts had now been recognised by the Award.
Those involved included the chairman of the Trustees Tim Suiter, Chris and Becky Bell, Becky Galea, Lee Gorton, Lawrie Gatherum and others. The group photo above shows many of the team.
Tim Suiter, seen here holding the award, said today: “We are delighted to accept this award and be recognised for our achievement. We want to thank our supporters from the parent body and the wider Whitchurch community for their contributions to the project. We are very happy with our new modern building with its views of the local countryside, play deck, warm and sustainable underfloor heating and air source heat pump. Looking to the future we are aiming to improve the outside play space at the Pre-School, strengthen our partnership with the Primary School who were such great supporters of us during the build, and continuing to foster ties with our wonderful local community here in Whitchurch on Thames.”
Date/Time : Sunday, 25th May 2025 10:45
SODC approves retrospective application for care home
At a meeting of the Planning Committee in Abingdon yesterday (picture), SODC councillors passed a resolution to approve the Section 73 application from the developer regarding the changes made to the consented design of Eastfield House/Cedar Lodge. The detailed discussions lasted one hour and 20 minutes. District councillor Peter Dragonetti, parish council vice-chair Diana Smith and three Whitchurch residents all spoke against the proposal.
After a debate, the proposal was passed by 5 votes to 2, with around 8 abstentions.
The entire proceedings were streamed on YouTube and can be watched here.
SODC's 9-page Decision letter stating the conditions for the planning permission can be read here.
Date/Time : Thursday, 22nd May 2025 17:36
Bienvenue aux Twinners!
Last weekend Whitchurch and Whitchurch Hill underwent a friendly invasion. Over 30 French visitors from our twin town, La Bouille in Normandy, arrived and were hosted by 14 welcoming households in the area. Our twinning link with La Bouille dates back over 40 years and founder member, Peter Hawley, was amongst guests at the Saturday night fish and chip supper.
Our French friends also enjoyed a day out exploring Greenham Common, Shaw House and Newbury. Shortly before leaving on Monday they were entertained by a morris dancing display at the Goring Heath alms-houses. We look forward to their return visit in two years’ time.
Many thanks to the committee who worked hard to ensure a successful visit. The Twinning Association is a friendly and welcoming group and next year members will travel to La Bouille to be welcomed in their turn. If you would like to be involved in this entente cordiale, please contact Wendy Ferguson or Tim Suitor . Look in the Photo Gallery for a larger picture.
Date/Time : Thursday, 08th May 2025 14:08
St Mary's Save our Spire appeal launched
The Fundraising Team reports on Friday’s event:
Around 40 people attended the launch event at St Mary's on 11th April, where the team shared interesting information on the background to the project, the history of the Church and its role in our lives & our community, along with detailed information on what restoration is needed and why. There are more photos in the Gallery.
There is a big fundraising challenge with a further £200k to be raised. Grant applications are being progressed alongside local fundraising and community engagement. The information boards used at Friday's event will remain in St Mary's so you can pop in on weekdays and take a look. Summary information is also in the leaflets shared at the event. For those unable to attend here is the leaflet.
We all have a part to play in ensuring this community asset and part of our heritage is maintained for future generations - please do get involved in whatever way you can in this once in a lifetime project in our village.
Thank you for your support!
The Save our Spire Fundraising Team
Date/Time : Sunday, 13th April 2025 18:47
Care home contractor progress concerns (UPDATED)
Several sources have indicated recently that the building contractor working on the Cedar Lodge care home, J Guest Ltd, could be in some kind of difficulty. With only weeks to go before the advertised opening, it appeared from the reduced activity on the site last week that the contractor could be withdrawing, leaving the owners, Zephyr X, to continue the work.
However, this morning (31st March) the large number of parked vans in Eastfield Lane appeared to indicate that construction had resumed. The photo was taken today.
Update, 2 pm Tuesday 1st April:
Parish chairman Jim Donahue reports that he spoke this morning with Zephyr X's Programme Director, who confirmed that their building contractor J Guest Ltd had gone into liquidation last Friday. The director said that it was caused by cash flow problems at another of the contractor's sites.
The Cedar Lodge site manager, who is now working for a new contractor rapidly brought in by Zephyr X to replace J Guest Ltd, recently told a nearby resident of Eastfield Lane that he reckoned the delay to the building work caused by the handover would be only about two weeks.
Parish councillor Diana Smith, who lives in the lane and is directly affected by its appalling condition, said today that both she and Jim Donahue have been chasing the OCC Highways Authority to fill the many deep potholes, as had already been agreed. There have also been discussions about the full resurfacing of the lane once the heavy vehicle traffic has reduced.
Date/Time : Monday, 31st March 2025 12:04
Fond farewell to the Witchers
After 29 years in Whitchurch, Paul and Geraldine Witcher of Hardwick Road departed the village on 21st March. They are moving to Nailsea in Somerset where they will be closer to their family.
They were thanked for their many services to the community at a farewell event in The Old Stables on 16th March (photo above by Debbie Leach), where they were presented with a suitable gift. They expressed their sadness at leaving the village.
The current Parish Magazine has an article, shown here in colour, on their wide range of much appreciated church and community activities over the years.
At their final session of WoTSing in St John’s Church on 13th March, the community choir, led by Geraldine for the final time, sang the couple's favourite songs plus an impromptu rendering of ‘Thank you for the music’. Paul and Geraldine said they were confident that the popular monthly singalongs would continue, led by the Cockerams, Ken Baker and pianist Tim Taylor.
Date/Time : Sunday, 23rd March 2025 13:53
Appointment of New Parish Councillor
Local shepherd, Romilly Swann, is the newest addition to Whitchurch Parish Council, following a unanimous vote in her favour at the PC meeting of March 13th. She fills the vacancy left by Nick Brazil’s recent retirement. Romilly has strong local roots, having lived and worked in this area for over 25 years, both on the Thames and the Hardwick Estate. She brings with her a detailed understanding of the botany, archaeology and ecology of this area and will undoubtedly prove a great asset to the council.
Date/Time : Tuesday, 18th March 2025 11:24
Cedar Lodge owners forge ahead (UPDATED, 26th March)
Despite several elements of planning permission not having been granted, Zephyr X have started recruiting staff and patients for the 45-bed care home previously known as Eastfield House.
Cedar Lodge is being advertised as a Flagship Dementia Centre and Nursing Home, but people in the community have many objections which still need to be resolved. Contentious issues include the overbearing east gable, external lighting, plant room and threat to trees. Many in the community feel aggrieved with the aggressive approach to planning adopted by the developer and are still hopeful that SODC will refuse the current outstanding S73 planning application.
Zephyr X have recently held a recruitment session in the village hall and have booked further training sessions there. They are understood to be planning a VIP Opening Day in the building on May 9th. This follows their placement of a marketing suite/reception room/office in the grounds, with an entrance through the roadside screen.
But there still seems to be a lot to do before the home can open, not least sorting out the sorry state of Eastfield Lane.
The aerial photo above is from the Zephyr X website.
A Henley Standard article on the external lighting was published this week.
Update, 26th March:
The EQ Care Group, which will run the home, is currently recruiting 90 staff for Cedar Lodge. They are hosting an evening reception on 3rd April in Pangbourne so that they can get to know community groups, businesses and societies with which they hope to work. See more in this Henley Standard article.
Date/Time : Saturday, 08th March 2025 17:02
Eastfield Lane – update from the Parish Council
Parish Council chairman Jim Donahue has provided this report following yesterday’s meeting of the Parish Council:
The Parish Council met on 13 February to discuss suggestions that have been received by residents including:
- ZephyrX should sweep the road at least a couple times a week:
o ZephyrX have now started sweeping it every Wednesday and Friday.
o ZephyrX says the mud should almost completely stop the week of 17 February when the following activities will commence:
- Some of the large containers will be removed to make way for landscaping
- The earth in the front of the site will be removed and replaced with stone base for the front drive
- They also note that the large cedar tree will be cut pruned in accordance with the arboricultural survey previously approved
- Drains have been clogged again recently despite being cleared in November:
o ZephyrX have hired a Gully Sucker. It came on 5th February – drains no longer blocked
o They will repeat cleaning if needed in the future
- Reduce the number of cars parked on the road – I have raised this previously and ZephyrX now parks some vehicles on Swanston Field and the Village Green Car Park. The overall number of vans working on the site likely will continue to be at peak numbers until the end of March.
o I have spoken to them again and they are willing to move many cars to Swanston Field or other locations pending our guidance. The parish Council agreed to request that this be increased to around a dozen. We have also asked that this be done in a considerate manner in line with traffic regulation including not having cars running in idle unnecessarily.
o A resident had suggested the High Street residential parking spaces be temporarily allocated to contractors, but the Parish Council understands that changes to Highways regulations for residents parking would be difficult and time consuming to change so this option is not really realistic.
- There is a need to push ZephyrX to reinstate as much of the road and verges as possible. I have made my views and those of OCC Highways clear to ZephyrX and J Guest that the roads and verges need to be made good at least as well as they were prior to start of work. I suggest it is best to follow up in the April timeframe as completion nears, as points 1-3 are the priority for the next 6 weeks.
The photo above was taken this week.
Date/Time : Friday, 14th February 2025 11:35
Busy time for Youth Club
Debbie Leach reports:
This Saturday the St Mary’s Youth Club are running the Art Café to raise funds for their activities. See the poster.
We've had a brilliant term and a half at the Club. Since September we have expanded to two sessions every Friday evening during term time. Years 6 & 7 come at 6.45pm and Years 8 & 9 come at 8.00pm.
The Tuck shop is always popular, as is the Table Football. We always have activities for the 30+ who come over the evening. Older Youth who are doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award have been helping run the Tuck shop.
We are so grateful for the volunteers who run the Youth Club and for donations of equipment or money which we use to fund activities and craft.
There are more photos in the Gallery.
Update, 16th February:
St Mary's Youth Club want to thank all those who came along to support the Art Café. We raised £230 on the day with a very successful Raffle and selling of cakes.
Nine members of the Youth Club came and helped to serve, wash up, clear tables and hoover afterwards.
Thank you for those who contributed raffle prizes and home-made cakes, cookies, muffins and rocky road.
Thank you also to the two individuals who each donated £100 to the Youth Club. We are so grateful: the money will be spent on making the storage shed waterproof for all our equipment, and also on the weekly activities for the young people.
Date/Time : Thursday, 13th February 2025 16:22
Tankers return to Eastfield Lane
Thames Water delivered a letter to residents yesterday and this morning three tankers were parked in the High Street waiting to take turns parking in Eastfield Lane to begin a new operation, to take over the work of the pumped sewage pipeline system for a number of days. The tankers will be in action 24 hours a day, using flashing warning lights, probably until at least the middle of next week.
It appears that the Manor Road pothole/sinkhole repair requires the emptying of the sewage pressure pipeline, which runs from the pumping station in Eastfield Lane to the Manor Road Sewage Treatment Plant.
This is a setback to the hoped-for recovery of normal conditions in Eastfield Lane as traffic, including construction trucks, will have an obstacle to contend with again for at least a week.
Date/Time : Tuesday, 04th February 2025 10:44
Roadworks updates, Manor Road and Eastfield Lane
Parish council chairman Jim Donahue has been actively monitoring the two current problem areas and these are his reports today:
- Manor Road. Thames Water’s contractor has started work today (Monday 3rd February) on repairing the pothole/sinkhole, which they say was caused by a leak from a high pressure sewage pipeline. See the photo. They are preparing a lane around the road on the east verge to divert traffic as they will need to work on the entire width of the road. They will be working on this for at least a couple of days and maybe (they now say) a couple of weeks.
- Eastfield Lane. Jim has written a detailed Eastfield Lane Construction and Safety Update which reports on the programme for completing and opening Eastfield House/Cedar Lodge, on road and verge repairs, and related topics.
Update 4th February: Julie Huntington has sent these comments in response to yesterday's Update on Eastfield Road.
Date/Time : Monday, 03rd February 2025 13:59
Opening ceremony for rebuilt Pre-School
After months of hard work and dedication, there will be an opening ceremony on Friday 17th January, from 8:45 am to 9:30 am, to celebrate the successful completion of the Whitchurch Pre-School construction project.
On behalf of the Pre-School Team, Secretary Becky Galea says:
“This project wouldn't have been possible without the support of our amazing local community. If you would like to come and look around the new building, then please reply to secretary@whitchurchpreschool.org by 10th January so we have an idea of numbers. We can't wait to welcome you to the new Whitchurch Pre-School!”
Update, 27th January:
The Henley Standard has published a longer report here.
Date/Time : Friday, 03rd January 2025 11:41
Short stories for the New Year
Nick Brazil has published a new book, in which he has gathered together twenty short stories he has written over a period of many years. The Ambush Was Closed For Lunch and Other Stories, his sixth book, contains a mixture of fictional and true stories in its 160 pages.
The story that is used as the book’s title is about the author’s adventures during his visit to Albania for a charity in 1991.
The book can be obtained from Amazon or directly from Nick at this address, The price is £5.
Date/Time : Tuesday, 31st December 2024 10:44
Happy Christmas!
The Whitchurch Web team wishes you a very Happy Christmas. We have a card for you to open.
We would like to thank Roy Goodall, of Yateley, who was born in Whitchurch and recently sent us several historic photos of the High Street. We have had one of them colourised, using online AI software, as seen here. The date is uncertain. It shows the 19 elms that lined the west side of the street until they were cut down sometime after 1910. If you can help to date it, please send a message to our Message Board.
We do hope you’ve enjoyed visiting the website during the year. Thank you to the many people who have provided news, events, photos and messages.
Date/Time : Thursday, 19th December 2024 16:26
Baptism in the Thames
James Leach reports on an unusual event:
On Advent Sunday, 1st December, Charlie was baptised by immersion in the millpond, following a service in St Mary's church. Baptism of adults by immersion is practised by many Anglican churches, though for logistical reasons this is more often in a baptismal pool than in a river. It is strongly symbolic of death and resurrection to new life, as well as cleansing. This was a very happy and meaningful occasion for us as a church congregation. We're not sure if it's a first for Whitchurch, at least in living memory. Does anyone know?
James Leach
Team Minister for Whitchurch
0118 976 5905
**There are more photos in the Photo Gallery.**
Update, 4th January 2025:
The Henley Standard has published an article on the baptism.
Date/Time : Friday, 06th December 2024 15:10
Eastfield Lane likely to deteriorate further (UPDATED AGAIN, Monday 9th)
Two more engineering projects are now scheduled, each of which will add to the congestion in Eastfield Lane caused by the many construction projects in the Lane, which are thought to number five, including the biggest one, Eastfield House.
SGN sent this letter to some, though not all, residents of Eastfield Lane this week, advising of excavation for gas works in the road at Eastfield House starting on 9th December. The allowed period is 8 working days, and the working hours are from 9 am to 4 pm.
The primary school has received the letter and has warned parents.
In addition to the above, a “ROAD CLOSED” sign was placed at the High Street end of Eastfield Lane yesterday, Wednesday 4th December, presumably by Thames Water. The tanker truck is back again visiting the sewage pumping station and they are placing signs and cones around the truck. Many vehicles are ignoring the road closed sign and still getting through to the school, but it is tight and the verge opposite the pumping station has already been further damaged. It seems likely that Thames Water is replacing one of the two pumps in the pumping station, but possibly they have not informed anyone in the village.
As a result of the new road closure sign, the food waste bins in Eastfield Lane were not emptied this morning, Thursday.
Parish councillor Diana Smith has been trying urgently to obtain more information from Thames Water.
The photograph above was taken in mid-September.
Update, Friday 6th December:
Thames Water has clarified that their contractor is replacing the older of the two pumps and that the work should be completed today. That gives us one new pump and one fairly new pump, which should greatly improve the reliability of the pumping station, a vital part of the village’s sewerage system.
The work is being carried out under the category ‘Immediate (Emergency) Road Closure’, for which the paperwork is now catching up. The Causeway One.network website now shows that TW applied for a closure from 4th to 18th December, a two week period, presumably to cover for contingencies.
Update, Monday 9th December:
Jim Donahue reports:
A quick update. Diana Smith and I spoke to SGN contractors this morning who are waiting for the OK from OCC to put up road closure signs on Eastfield Lane.
While they still estimate it will take 8 days, the good news is that they say that access will still be possible at all times. They will only dig up half the road at a time, with the other half still available for access, although it will be tight.
Meanwhile, the building contractors have said that they have instructed their subcontractors to keep the road clear of cars other than directly in front of Eastfield house site. Some are parking at the Village Green car park and others on Swanston Field.
Date/Time : Thursday, 05th December 2024 16:55