Planting at Haddenham and Thame Parkway railway station – the newly extended station which was recently opened by Raymond Blanc, a regular customer at the station now has newly designed planting areas. When you next go to the station, take a careful and admiring look at the planting as the work was carried out by Vanessa Doyle of Chilton Road. She has worked as plant specialist in conjunction with Rodney Lovell of Landmark Garden Design who was responsible for the design.
Her aim was to find plants which would look good all year, be able to thrive in drought conditions and survive with little attention. The” helter-skelter” in the middle of the car park is planted with grasses and a mosaic of house leeks. The triangular beds have been given a seaside theme with blue and black grasses, sea hollies and bergenias whose leaves turn scarlet in winter.
Vanessa grows many of her own unusual plants and has a lovely garden, which she opened to the public last year as part of The National Gardens Scheme. With thanks to Vanessa for this information, I shall make a point of viewing the new planting with informed eyes next time I am at the station and throughout the coming months.
Black Coffee at Oxford Playhouse.
Eric Carte, our esteemed local actor has been on tour since January with the Agatha Christie Theatre Co in the first play written by Agatha Christie, Black Coffee. Jason Durr, well known as PC Mike Bradley in Heartbeat has replaced Robert Powell as Hercule Poirot. The play is set on an English country estate which is thrown into chaos following the murder of eccentric Sir Claud Amory and the theft of his new earth shattering formula. On the arrival of Hercule Poirot with Captain Hastings at the scene, he immediately senses a potent brew of despair, treachery and deception amid the estate’s occupants. It is described by Agatha Christie as a “conventional spy thriller”. Inspector Japp also makes a welcome appearance in the play. Black Coffee continues its tour of the UK and Ireland with Eric and will be at The Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday August 26 to Saturday August 30, with matinees on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Wedding Congratulations to Angela and Duncan of Chilton Road who were married on Saturday July 26 at St Mary’s Church, Chilton. Angela and Duncan were responsible for creating the jewelled Crown which was the centre piece on The Green for the Jubilee celebrations in 2012. Good luck to them and their children, Molly and Barnaby.
Jack Neil - Jack’s relatives would like to thank all who attended his funeral at St Nicholas Church on July 24 and particular thanks to Jeremy Pratt for playing the organ and to the ladies who sang the descant. £217 was raised from donations for the Alzheimer’s Society. They would also like to thank Sharon at The Bell and everyone who came back to The Bell after the funeral.
Clothes and Shoes Recycling in The Bell car park. Sharon has kindly agreed for a clothes and shoe bank to be placed in The Bell car park. Proceeds from this will go to the children’s charity Shooting Stars, which is a leading children’s hospice charity caring for babies, children and young people with life limiting conditions and their families. The bank in The Bell car park is run by The Salvation Army Trading Co. with the support of Fuller’s Brewery. Donations should be put in a bag before being placed in the bank.
Red Cross Transport – volunteer drivers are being sought throughout the Vale to take people to medical appointments, dentist, etc. You would use your own car and expenses would be reimbursed. If you could spend a few hours helping, please contact The British Red Cross on 08450703752 for more information. This number can also be used to book transport.
Diary Dates:
- Sunday August 10 - Evensong at 6.00pm at St Nicholas church (no Morning Celebration). During August there will be no Junior Church or Rock Solid.
- Monday August 11 – Mobile Library from 10.00am until 10.25am in the Bell Car park
