Tag Archives: Wantage

HATS OFF TO WANTAGE!

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HATS OFF TO WANTAGE!

The Wantage based folk and ceilidh band Pandemonium are celebrating their 20th year of playing together, by releasing their third CD, under the title “Hats Off to Wantage”. This follows on from their very successful first two CDs entitled “Pandemonium” and “More Pandemonium”. The band regularly performs in and around the Wantage area and the title of this new CD is taken from a dance tune especially written by band member Wanda Oberman, to celebrate the Oxfordshire Millennium in 2007 Said Carol Warren-Smith, who arranged and directed the music, ” We are proud of our Wantage connection and heritage and hope that this selection will give as much enjoyment to the listeners as we have had putting the tracks together. This is a first for Pandemonium, in that the recording was entirely recorded and mixed in-house  at the Hilltribe Studios in Wantage by band member Howard Hill.”

The new CD has 11 musical tracks and 5 vocal tracks and is truly a musical feast for all lovers of folk music. Although it is not available for sale in the shops copies,  priced at £10 (+£1p&p), can be ordered from the Pandemonium website www.pandemoniumwantage.org.uk

Tennis club proposals to go on display

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Residents in Wantage will get the chance to check out what Wantage Tennis Club’s proposed new home could look like when provisional plans go on display in December.

Wantage Tennis Club approached the Vale of White Horse District Council to put forward a proposal to move from its current location inFoliat Driveto a new half acre site in Manor Road Recreation Ground.

The proposed new site is adjacent to the existing public tennis courts, which would receive a much needed refurbishment and upgrade as part of the proposal.  The new facility would also include a further four courts and a small pavilion, along with some additional parking spaces.

As part of the plans, it is proposed that the tennis club would be granted a long-term lease of the site, which is owned by Vale of White Horse District Council.  Under this agreement the tennis club would be responsible for all repairs, maintenance, renewals and outgoings.

The club would also be responsible for the public courts, which will still be available for the public to use at the same cost as present, with a strict control over any future increase in court fees.

Wantage Tennis Club aims to improve access and encourage wider community use of these public courts.  The Club will be able to use the courts for a limited amount of time for larger scale coaching sessions and tournaments.

Any proposals to build new facilities at the site, and the lease agreement itself, will be subject to planning permission being granted.

The proposals, including a model of the site, will be on display for the public to view at Wantage Civic Hall, Portway, Wantage, between Monday 12 December and Wednesday 14 December, from9amto2pmand6pm to 8pm, and on Saturday 17 December from9amtil 12noon.

Stephen Thompson of Wantage Tennis Club, said: “The new site would allow many more people in Wantage to enjoy a game of tennis, as well as providing a much needed upgrade to the existing public courts.”

Cllr Elaine Ware, cabinet member for economy, leisure and property at the Vale, said: “We encourage people to come along to the Civic Hall and have a look at the proposals.  We believe that a new site could provide a major boost in terms of improved tennis facilities for the local community, but are keen to provide an opportunity for residents to see what’s being proposed.”

 

Wantage & Grove Churches Form New Partnership

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A new era has started for churches in Wantage and Grove after they joined together to form a new grouping called Wantage & Grove Church Partnership.

The coming together took place on  28th September at an  Annual General Meeting, held in the Charlton Centre, Wantage, which was the last of Wantage Churches Together and first of the new Partnership. 

At the meeting, the outgoing chairman Canon Peter Turbitt, from St John Vianney Church, welcomed the establishment of the new broader group.

The Wantage & Grove Church Partnership, under its new Chairman Reverend Martin Smithson, Minister of Wantage and of Grove Methodist Churches, will continue much of the work previously done by Wantage Churches Together and by churches working together in Grove and hopes to be increase the degree to which churches speak and act together on local initiatives and areas of concern.

The new grouping includes:

 Grove Methodist Church

S. John the Baptist Church, Grove (Church of England)

S. John Vianney Catholic Church

Ss. Peter and Paul with Holy Trinity, Wantage (Church of England)

The Community of S. Mary the Virgin 

Wantage Christian Fellowship

Wantage Community Church

Wantage Methodist Church

 

Reverend Martin Smithson Chairman of the new grouping said:   “ We are all very pleased to have come together in this way.  We represent a broad variety of Christian churches which are keen to work together and we recognise that many of the issues we address are relevant to both Grove and Wantage.  Our coming together in both of these ways is a very positive step for us and we hope it will be for Wantage and Grove too.  In the future we will explore ways in which we can extend what we do together and how we can better serve our communities.    We would also be happy to welcome any other churches within the Wantage and Grove area who may wish to join us in the future.”

 

The new Council, with representatives from each of the member churches, will meet regularly to share experiences, raise matters of local concern and to plan future activities.

The French FOOD & CRAFT MARKET from Normandy is coming back to WANTAGE!

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French Food for Food lovers and gourmets !!!

Le Marche de France has been invited to come and visit WANTAGE, and bring a great range of high quality & fresh produce from all regions of France for one day for everyone to enjoy.

There will be a magnificent cheese stall with a truly enormous selection of French cheeses. Bread will be baked onsite, in front of visitors, on the NEW BREAD& PATISSERIE STALL and the smell of bread, croissants and patisseries should hopefully spread in the whole town centre. Also will be the Charcuterie with wonderful sausages, olives, Turkish delights, smoked ham and Calvados pate. Pure Butter Homemade biscuits, cakes and Ginger bread, Mustards, sauces and, of course, garlic will be on offer as well! For those with a sweet tooth, wonderful natural honeys as well the hugely popular crepes stall will be on display.  For those with a small space left, the sweet stall will also be making fresh pralines, almonds and cashews on site.

And for those who like South of France, they will find soaps from Marseille, lavenders, tablecloths from Provence… Oh, La la…!!!

Fantastic Food & Craft Market from our regions of France is coming, Enjoy shopping with us!

 

The market will take place in WANTAGE, MARKET PLACE,

 SUNDAY 18th SEPTEMBER 2011   from 9.00am till 4.00 pm .

Wantage Civic Hall given new lease of life

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Wantage Civic Hall has been given a new lease of life thanks to the introduction of new facilities and events.

The alterations have been made following a number of suggestions from members of the public who attended an open day held at the Civic Hall in February.  The event, which local people and businesses were invited to, was organised as a way of getting people’s views on the facility and ideas about how it could be improved for the local community.

Changes already in place are:

  • the flooring and chairs in the café area have been replaced
  • a fresh coffee machine has been installed
  • free Wi-Fi has been installed for use by visitors to the building
  • the look of the outside of the building has been improved
  • new options are in place for catering for functions and events.

New “Monkey Mayhem” sessions, a Monday morning parent and toddler group run in partnership with Soll Leisure, have also been launched at the Civic Hall.  Monkey Mayhem starts with taster sessions this August before becoming a permanent fixture on the Civic Hall calendar from Monday 5 September.

August also sees a sports clubs open evening, when on 23 August representatives from clubs in and around Wantage are invited to come along and discuss what the venue could offer them and how it should be used during next year’s Olympic Games.  The event takes place between6pmand8pm.

With many more improvements to come over the next few months the Civic Hall is set to become the must-use venue in Wantage.

If you have a suggestion for how the Civic Hall could be improved further please contact the Vale’s Partnership Development Officer Jo Patersonon 01235 540379 or email jo.paterson@southandvale.gov.uk.

CllrElaine Ware, Cabinet Member for Civic Halls at the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “We have listened to the people of Wantage and are making many changes to the Civic Hall as a direct result of the suggestions that have been put forward.  This is a really exciting time and we hope that existing users will appreciate the work that we are doing and that former users and those who haven’t been there before will be tempted to give the Civic Hall a go.”