Flyer advertising stand-up comedy at Dunsden village hall

Stand-up to comedy at Dunsden village hall

12 December, 202225 July, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Stand-up to comedy at Dunsden village hall on January 21st

Dunsden Village Hall proudly presents another night of uproarious comedy after the huge success of our 2019 event. That night Chris McCausland was our headliner and then went on to huge national fame. Who will it be this year?

Find out at our comedy night on Saturday January 21st at our warmly welcoming hall. There will be a fully licensed bar with wine and Loddon ales as well as hot refreshments.

Get your tickets now at https://buytickets.at/dunsden/

Jonny Awsum

Jonny shot to national fame on Britain’s Got Talent. His TV performances won standing ovations and unanimous praise from the judges and went viral on the internet, racking up over 50 million views on YouTube.

In 2022, Jonny performed at the Glastonbury Festival, supported Jason Manford in arenas around the country and recorded his 2000th show for a new live album.

Jonny regularly pops up on TV and radio. He has featured on BBC Breakfast, GMTV, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5 Live and Absolute Radio.

“Guaranteed to lift your spirits”– *** Daily Mirror

“Brilliantly inventive…you went to town…we couldn’t want for anything more!” – David Walliams

“Jonny Awsum positively smashed this musical comedy show, taking the audience all the way with him…That’s entertainment” – ** Chortle

“It was absolutely brilliant…it was the best ending to a show ever!”– Amanda Holden

Dan Evans

Dan Evans first appeared on the comedy circuit in 1994, shortly afterwards leaving a promising career as one of East Anglia’s leading office menials to go full time.

Over the past decade his twisted logic has delighted the nation, helping it through the dark days of the death of HRH The Queen Mother and the uncertainties of 21st century property prices.

As well as playing clubs and universities throughout the UK, Dan has gigged in Holland, Germany, Dubai and Ireland as well as being part of the sell-out Screaming Blue Murder Cabaret and Avalon Comedy Zones at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Dan’s TV and radio appearances include Brain Candy (BBC3 & 2), Channel 5 at The Store, Channel 5 Comedy Zone and the Radio 2 Stand Up Show.

He writes too, with many credits including The Very World of Milton Jones (R4 – Sony Award Winner), Rory Bremner Who Else? (CH 4), The Eleven O’Clock Show (CH 4), The Live Floor Show (BBC 1), Revolver (BBC 1) and The Joan Rivers Position (CH 5).

‘Skilful and surreal’ – The Scotsman ‘Original and inventive’ – The Times

Samantha Day

Samantha has been variously a semi-finalist Manford’s Best New Act 2020, Semi finalist Best New Act at the Bath Comedy Festival and Semi-finalist Not so New Comedian of the Year 2019. She’s also supported Patrick Monahan and Lee Nelson.

Lovell Smith

Winner Best Midlands New Act 2019.

“He’s got charisma, charm, confidence & quality jokes. A great formula. He’s the future.”

Nathan Caton – Live at the Apollo star.

Rob Coleman, MC

Rob has made what he laughingly calls a career out of being grumpy. And having amazing hair.

“A naturally funny man.” – Bedfordshire News.

Image of a bus with a sad face sticker on the front

Bus services in the parish

12 December, 20225 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Bus services in parish cut by Arriva

Because of relatively low passenger use (an average of 12 to 16 passengers per day) bus services through the parish are being cut from 8 January, 2023 to just four a day, which are being subsidised by Oxfordshire County Council at a cost of £20,000 per year until August 2024. The service does not operate on Sundays.

The main service will in future run via the A4155 Henley Road in future, where there is less risk of damage to buses and double-deckers will be able to operate.

The proposed new timetable is here. Are you likely to be affected by this change? If so please email Mandy Sermon, our Parish Clerk.

The death of Her Majesty the Queen

10 September, 20225 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

The death of Her Majesty the Queen

The Parish Council of Eye & Dunsden joins with countless others in expressing its profound sadness at the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second. Hers was a life of the most remarkable service to the nation. You may wish to sign the book of condolence which has been opened at All Saints Church, Dunsden and will be available from 8am to 8pm every day during this period of official mourning. A book of condolence is also available at Henley Library.

Following the proclamation of the new monarch, King Charles III at St James Palace, similar proclamations will be made this afternoon throughout Oxfordshire. On official advice, the meeting of the Parish Council on September 20th has been postponed to September 27th. Long live the King!

A window for Wilfred

5 March, 20215 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

A chance to be part of a unique artistic project in Dunsden

Dunsden Owen Association has announced that it has met its fundraising target for a new window in All Saints Church. Judging in a national competition takes place in April 2022. It is hoped the window will be installed in 2023.

Who was Wilfred?

Wilfred Owen changed poetry with his urgent, real desire to tell us how war really was. Many of us still remember his verses learnt at school. ‘Bent double, like old beggars under sacks…’ He died at the age of just 25, killed in France exactly one week before the First World War was declared to be over.

We would like to dedicate a stained glass window to him, in the church where he spent crucial months of his life, learning so much about himself – his commitment to justice and fairness, and to poetry.

Owen in Dunsden

Wilfred was just 18 when he arrived here in 1911 to assist the vicar, full of hope that he could fulfil his vocation to be a churchman. He soon became enmeshed in village life, visiting the sick, helping to run the school and presenting lantern slide shows in the mission hall on the village green.

But a tragic accident and the grinding local poverty he saw all around him caused Wilfred to question his faith and eventually to leave the parish.

From the many letters he wrote to his mother back home in Shropshire, we read of a young man who broke down in confusion, before finding his path as a leader, a communicator, and a great poet. The first soundings of his distinctive voice can be found in the poems he wrote at Dunsden.

The Glaziers’ Company in London has selected our brief as the subject of their next Stevens Competition; we will have designed for us a stained glass reflection of Wilfred Owen’s time in Dunsden, for a window overlooking the grassy, snowdrop-filled churchyard where his parents and sister are both buried.

Military service

In 1913 Owen left the parish and, after a period teaching in France, he enlisted in the Artists Rifles. He was subsequently given the rank
of Second Lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment. Whilst leading his men Wilfred suffered severe shell shock when he was catapulted into the air by a mortar blast and lay unconscious for days next to the bodies of his comrades.

Owen was sent to a hospital near Edinburgh to recover, where he met the poet Siegfried Sassoon who acted as his mentor and published Owen’s poetry in the hospital magazine.

Owen insisted on being returned to the front line. On 1 October, 1918 he led his men in attacks near the village of Joncourt. For his conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty he was awarded the Military Cross.

A final attack

On 4 November, 1918, Owen was told to lead his men in an attack on the Sambre-Oise canal near the village of Ors in northern France. According to his biographer “Through the hurricane [of enemy machine gun fire] the small figure of Wilfred Owen walked backwards and forwards, between his men, patting them on the shoulder, saying ‘Well done’ and ‘You’re doing well, my boy” before “at the water’s edge, giving a hand with some duckboards, he was hit and killed”, He lies buried in Ors with his men. We are proud to have forged links with Ors and to have been part of their annual commemoration of Wilfred Owen’s life.

On the 11 November, 1918, bells rang out across England to celebrate the signing of the Armistice marking the end of the conflict dubbed ‘the war to end all wars’. The bell of Wilfred Owen’s mother’s door rang too, heralding the arrival of a telegram with the news of his tragic death.

By the 1960s, Owen had won recognition as perhaps Britain’s greatest twentieth century war poet. His best known poems include ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, ‘Futility’, ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ and ‘Strange Meeting’.
In Dunsden he wrote ‘Deep Under Turfy Grass’ in response to a tragic accident at Dunsden Green which killed Alice Allen and her four year old daughter Hilda. It is said to be one of the few early works which foretell his mature style.

Owen’s voluminous correspondence with his mother, Susan, was recovered from her garden shed in Emmer Green by his biographer. Owen lies buried in Ors, France, close to where he was killed.

The names of donors will be recorded in a special book to be kept in the church

Flyer for the Fighting Fund with a piggy bank as the central image

Join the CAGE crowd-funders

7 March, 20185 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

CAGE has launched a fighting fund to pay for its battle against Gladman Developments at the planning inquiry in May. Eye & Dunsden Parish Council is in full support of this campaign. Will you join the crowd-funders to help pay for expert evidence to prove just why Gladman’s appeal should be rejected?

Nearly 500 people registered their objections to Gladman’s plan for 245 unsustainable houses in tiny Eye & Dunsden Parish, next to Emmer Green. If each contributes just £25, CAGE would meet their £10,000 target. Please help.

Gladman boasts that it is Britain’s biggest user of the planning system in the UK. They look to exploit weaknesses in the system in order to maximise profit for profit-hungry landowners. Eye & Dunsden is a parish of just 140 homes.

Their proposed development would burst the natural boundary of Reading and cause a valued landscape right next to the Chilterns AONB to be lost for ever. The proposal has many weaknesses, but Reading Borough Council has refused to participate fully in the inquiry. South Oxfordshire District Councilwill be fully represented, but its remit will be limited to the reasons given when they refused the application last year.

As an umbrella group representing seven local parish councils and 4 residents’ groups in Reading, CAGE believe it is absolutely essential they are able to bring all the facts to the inquiry. CAGE has the full support of Reading and South Oxfordshire Councillors Clare Grashoff and Paul Harrison and of local MPs, Matt Rodda and John Howell.

Please go to the CAGE crowd-funding site now to contribute to this appeal. The funds will be managed by Eye & Dunsden Parish Council as part of the CAGE campaign.

Get Active 60+ at Dunsden!

23 February, 20185 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

GoActive GOLD at Dunsden

Free fitness taster event for over 60’s

Eye & Dunsden Village Hall

Monday 26 March 2018, from 10 am – 12 noon

(Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes to take part in activities)

Try out out a taster activity
Functional Fitness MOTs
Meet new people in a fun & friendly environment
Tea and coffee provided

Booking essential: Simone Passeri 07717 326661 · simone.passeri@southandvale.gov.uk

News from the village hall

7 February, 20185 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Dame Judi a sellout, so buy raffle tickets now – and win great prizes!

‘An audience with Dame Judi Dench’ at the Mill at Sonning for Dunsden Village Hall sold out within 24 hours of going public, but you can still buy raffle tickets to support Dunsden Village Hall. Work continues to transform the Victorian building into a community centre for the 21st century and funding is badly needed as are volunteers to join the team. There are some fabulous prizes in the raffle, including a magnum of champagne, dinner and a night’s stay for two at the French Horn, a night’s stay at the Coppa Club for two, swim and dinner for two at the new Thames Lido, and a ride on a combine harvester – all thanks to generous local donors. Tickets will soon at Binfield Heath Stores, the Shoulder of Mutton in Playhatch and the Flowing Spring. Dunsden Village hall is a registered charity.

Forthcoming attractions

March 17: our ever-popular quiz night returns!

Beth and John are re-staging another of their ever-popular quiz nights on Saturday March 17. A full fish and chip supper (with vegetarian alternative) is served as teams pit their wits against each other in a series of light-hearted and brain-teasing rounds. A bar featuring wine, soft drinks and Loddon Brewery ales is available to stimulate (or not) the little grey cells. Tickets in Binfield Heath Stores and at our online box office buytickets.at/dunsden Don’t miss it!

Kate Howden returns on April 28 with ‘heartfelt songs, rooted in people, place and nature’

Kate Howden is a singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist. She plays Guitar, Mandolin, Bodhran and Cajon. Her experience of writing, performing and recording spans over 16 years as part of acoustic duo howdenjones.co.uk. She returns to Dunsden on April 28 with her captivating blend of songs, tunes and stories in an evening to remember. As usual with village hall events there will be a licensed bar and snacks available. More at www.katehowdenmusic.co.uk

Classes and more

There’s a great range of classes and activities on in the new hall just now. Here’s a selection:

Monday Club · Teas and Talks for the over 60s.

Call George Englefield on 01189 476830 for more.

Ashtanga Yoga · Mondays, 7.30pm Monday evenings
www.sianyoga.com

Slow Flow Yoga & Meditation with Wild Soul Yoga · Wednesdays, 6.30pm www.wildsoulyoga.co.uk

WAT Country Dance
Alternate Wednesdays, 8pm folkscape@yahoo.co.uk

You Shine Theatre · affordable musical theatre for 7–13 year olds on Tuesdays from 5pm www.youshinetheatre.co.uk

Stretch and smile yoga · Thursdays from 10am
saspauline.wixsite.com/saspauline

Pilates · Physiotherapist-led Pilates classes on Thursdays, 7.00pm panaceaphysiotherapy.co.uk/

Hatha Yoga · Thurs, 7.30pm uddhava@traditionalyoga.org

Mindfulness for Wellbeing Course · 8 week course on Fridays, 10am, www.absolutemindfulnessberkshire.com

Dunsden Church is hosting a pancake supper in the hall on Tuesday February 13 as well as their popular Snowdrop Sunday on February 18. Call 947 7015 for more.

Support our hall when you shop at Caversham Waitrose

You only have until the end of February to use your green tokens at Caversham Waitrose to donate to the hall under their Community Matters scheme. Please support us!

Ninebarrow wow at first ever concert in our sparkling new hall

Our concert by award-winning Ninebarrow was a huge success, with a near capacity crowd enjoying their excellent music. But what kind of music or theatre would you like to see in the hall? Let us know. For more please call hall manager Gilly on 07341 385111.

Whizz, bang, ahhh!

20 October, 20175 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Have you booked yet for the fireworks?

Our family bonfire night, with professional fireworks, is a week today, on Friday 27th. The display is thanks to the generosity of Sonning Fireworks, an award-winning local company with a reputation for spectacular displays. The weather is forecast to be fine.

It’s a small-scale, family-friendly event with hot-dogs and other snacks served in the small hall. The rest of the hall is fenced off during the current building works. There’s a licensed bar serving wine and Loddon Brewery ales. Parking is at Dunsden Farm.

You can now book tickets quickly and easily online. They are also on sale at Binfield Heath Stores and at the Shoulder of Mutton in Playhatch. The event begins at 6.30pm.

More village hall news

Don’t forget, there’s also a great programme of musical performances at the hall coming up in the next few months, starting with the fantastic Whalebone on Saturday 11 November. Theirs is a unique style of eclectic acoustic music, which you can sample here. Tickets are just £10 from our online box office, including snacks with a full bar featuring Loddon Brewery ales available. Don’t miss it!

On 26 January we will be hosting a show by award-winning folk duo Ninebarrow, who have been described as ‘stunning’, ‘damn fine’ and ‘perfection’ by critics including The Telegraph, Radio 3 and Mike Harding.

The hall’s exciting programme of re-building works is on track for completion before Christmas. The new extension to the main hall, with its attractive terrace and fully-equipped kitchen will be a great asset for social events of all kinds.

The hall’s management committee is looking for new people to help them run the building. Experience is not necessary, and the time commitment is not heavy, but the work is very rewarding. With the new hall heading for completion before Christmas, now is the perfect time to get involved! If you are interested, please contact Ginny.

Raising the Playhatch Road

Oxfordshire has not been successful in its bid for funding for the next stage of this project, which was to prepare a complete design scheme. Locals in Sonning Eye were concerned that the scheme (which is intended to keep the road open in times of heavy floding) could make their flooding worse, and cause considerable disruption during its construction. The Parish Council is to poll residents for their views on this issue and on the Third Thames Bridge.

Proposed Third Reading Bridge

A group led by Reading East MP Matt Rodda continues to press for a new bridge. The scheme has the active support of representatives of Reading and Wokingham, with South Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire representatives keeping a watching brief. The scheme’s objective is to get 55,000 vehicles out of Reading, with onward routes including Caversham Park Village and the B481 through Sonning Common. What are your views? Look out for our online poll.

Henley Road closure

The work is on schedule and on target, expected to be completed by the end of the first week in November. New views have opened up across the fields as a consequence of the installation of shuttering which should prevent the road breaking up in future.

Gladman Homes appeal against planning defeat

Gladman Homes have appealed against the refusal of planning consent for 245 houses in fields close to the AONB near Dunsden after a long campaign by the group CAGE Dunsden. The process will run to a strict timetable which has yet to be announced.

SODC Councillor offers grants

Our District Councillor, Paul Harrison has around £500 to offer for a specific project in the parish. The council will discuss this at its next meeting, but possibilities include the conversion of the phonebox on Dunsden Green to an information point and book exchange, or the installation of a defibrillator in the village hall.

Tarmac gravel extraction

A liaison group was told this week that gravel extraction is expected to begin next week. Oxfordshire’s monitoring officer will be visiting the site on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the planning permission. Kevin Browne is the local plant manager who can be contacted concerning problems with the work.

Image of the village hall under renovation

Autumn news from Eye & Dunsden

26 September, 20175 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Full steam ahead for a brighter hall

Dunsden Village Hall’s exciting transformation continues apace, with the old foundation stone now set into the wall of the new sun room extension. The work should all be done by the end of November.

Meanwhile, there are some excellent events coming up at the hall, including the ever-popular family bonfire night, with professional fireworks, which this year is on Friday 27 October. You can now book tickets quickly and easily online.

There’s also a great programme of musical performances at the hall coming up in the next few months, starting with the fantastic Whalebone on Saturday 11 November. There’s is a unique style of eclectic acoustic music, which you can sample here. Tickets are just £10 from our online box office, including snacks with a full bar featuring Loddon Brewery ales available. Don’t miss it!

The hall’s management committee is always looking for new people to help them run the building. Experience is not necessary, and the time commitment is not heavy. Now is a perfect time to get involved! If you are interested, please contact Ginny.

Gladman Homes defeated at SODC Planning

A scheme to build 245 houses in fields close to the AONB near Dunsden was thrown out by SODC’s planning committee on September 6th, after a long campaign by the group CAGE Dunsden. As reported in the Henley Standard, so strong were feelings that two coachloads of protestors attended the meeting, with the support of local MPs John Howell and Matt Rodda. An appeal in the next six months is now possible.

Dunsden fly tipper caught on camera

SODC have successfully prosecuted a repeat fly tipper who was dumping building waste in Church Road, Dunsden. Reading-based Sam Smith carried out four substantial fly-tips, and was ordered to pay more than £5,000 after being repeatedly caught on CCTV.

Yellow flyer concerning the bus planning

Parish update for late summer

1 September, 20175 May, 2023David1 Comment

Burglaries in the parish

Three commercial premises in Dunsden and Sonning Eye were hit over the Bank Holiday weekend. The break-ins seem to have been carefully planned and resulted in several thousands of pounds of losses. A reminder to be vigilant at all times, report all suspicious activity, and make sure that doors and windows are not left open when a house is empty.

Plan for 245 new houses near Dunsden to be decided this Wednesday (6th)

The parish council is firmly opposed to Gladman’s outline planning application for a large new housing development near Dunsden. It would almost triple the number of houses in the parish and if agreed might set a precedent for further large scale house building next to Playhatch and elsewhere in the area. CAGE is an umbrella group of seven local parishes and four Reading residents groups that are fighting the scheme. Will you support the campaign? They are running buses to the planning committee on Wednesday in order to encourage as many members of the public to attend as possible. Find out more on the CAGE website.

Henley Road closure

The parish council is working with Oxfordshire County Council and the police to ensure they attempt to limit the impact of the extra traffic through Playhatch and Dunsden during the nine weeks the A4155 is to be closed. Extra warning signs are to be installed and additional action will be taken as needed.

Expanding fibre broadband in Eye & Dunsden

Fibre broadband is coming to the remotest corners of the parish, thanks to the Better Broadband programme. The majority of coverage in Eye and Dunsden has been delivered commercially. Three postcodes (RG4 9PU, RG4 9PX and RG4 9PY) with four premises, are not in the existing plans and we are not aware of any further commercial deployment plans. These residents may wish to consider a co-funding option detailed on the website.

Grow your own on our allotments

The council provides two allotments, one at Sonning Eye and another at Playhatch. Vacant plots sometimes become available. If you’re interested, please email Mandy, our Clerk.