The farewell edition of the Tithe Farm and Ladygrove newsletter has appeared, after over 40 years of keeping residents informed of local interest stories and events. The earliest known edition was from July 1971, about the time the houses were built.

For many years Lilian Barry produced a 2 sided newsletter, often handwritten, usually including one of her poems. Steve Annells took the newsletter over in the 1990s and increased the number of pages, and campaigned for the interests of South Abingdon, particularly on the subject of the Drayton Road Traffic, and Flood risks, and his real passion – Better Bus Services. For the last decade Eleanor Dangerfield has edited a very informative newsletter.

The newsletter has always encouraged people to get involved in local fetes and trips and litter picks organised by the Residents Association, and nagged people who don’t pick up their dog pooh.

The newsletter also had a regular gardening column by Martin Gulliver, and a quiz.

Then there were the adverts which helped pay for the print run and got locals in touch with local businesses.

Finally, on the back, were Town Events, Councillor Surgeries and contact numbers, and the Residents Association meetings.

Looking back through the archives the editor says “In January 1975 there is a report of the A.G.M. to which ‘sadly only two dozen members came.’

Nowadays we are lucky to get seven.”

Every Tuesday at Preston Road Community Centre there is Bingo. Eyes down at 8:00 pm. Unlike the online Bingo it is a community event where people get together with friends and chat between games. Its twitter hashtag is #prestonroadjackpot.

On Friday the Blood Donation Service take over the centre for the day so I would guess the usual Friday Youth Club for South Abingdon has a week off.

The Abingdon U3A meet at Preston Road Community Centre. The University of the Third Age is for people who have retired and still want to learn and discover new things.

There are lots more groups who use Preston Road Community Centre. The centre is run by a small group of volunteers, who would welcome new volunteers, and is there for the local community. New sliding partitions have been recently installed so that different areas are soundproofed and the large hall can be divided in two, as can the lounge, or it can all be opened up for one big event – very configurable.

< As an ex-resident of Tithe Farm Estate it is always good to see the Tithe Farm and Ladygrove Newslettter. There is usually a copy in the library alongside the Marcham and District News. < This winter's edition mentions the removal of a tree, bench, and some shrubs from Longfellow Green. The bench will be replaced but not the shrubs.
A resident wrote in to the previous edition calling for speed bumps along Mill Road (the main arterial road between Tithe Farm and Ladygrove). But letters to the latest edition show that there are arguments on both sides.

The newsletter celebrates an improved evening bus service between Didcot and Oxford (bus stop nearby) with the X2 running in the evening.

There has been a three part series on “The Poets of Tithe Farm.” All the roads are named after poets. Part three is about Tennyson and Longfellow “the odd man out of our poets as he was an American“.

There is always a regular piece about the seasons of the garden.

Eleanor keeps the newsletter running. She also keeps the Green Gym running.

The Barns Café on Northcourt Road has been open for five weeks and is already well known in the area, and was doing a fine trade this lunchtime.

A visiting mum, over from Australia, to be with her family, was very pleased to have found The Barns.

 There are two upstairs seating areas, for those who would like a better view of the old timbers. One side has board games to play on a rainy day.

It is opposite the shops in Northcourt Road with plenty of parking round the back. You can like them on facebook or visit in person ( Tue – Fri: 09:00 – 16:30 ).

The community enterprise has been set up by Christchurch in one of their many barns.