Tackley Newsletter
June & July 2024

Parish Council

Annual Report

Tackley continues to be a thriving village with many people helping run the varied organisations and clubs.

Mary McIntyre continues to run the Tackley Notices email list along with the website and its freecycle and for-sale pages, and recently shared with us her amazing photos and videos of the Northern Lights over Tackley. If you’re not already subscribed, please join Tackley Notices.

Martin Edwards edits this newsletter every two months. Anyone can submit an article, so if you have something to say please get in touch. Martin is always looking for interesting things to include. And of course, there are the volunteers who deliver the newsletter to every house.

Debbie Norton and her team run the shop – with many volunteers manning the tills, stacking the shelves and helping customers – along with the committee working in the background too. Debbie will be leaving us soon, after many years at the helm, and we wish her all the best in her new life in New Zealand!

The village hall has a new committee. Thanks to all those who have volunteered their time and energy to the next phase of its development. Many thanks to Katie Hofman who has stood down after 10 years on the committee, including as chair, along with Julian Hofman.

The Tackley PALs litter-picking sessions have been well attended and, sadly, much needed. Many thanks to Sue and Alan Lygo for organising these, and to the many volunteers who clean our streets and verges of the litter left by the few.

The Jubilee Garden is going from strength to strength. The pollinator patch is now really well established, and the spring flowers around the edges looked wonderful this year. Thanks to the group who keep on top of it all.

Thanks to Rachel Strachan, John Reynolds, Katherine Woodrow and David Kennerly for their work behind the scenes on the Nature Spaces Subcommittee. Dan Levigne had to step down recently, but his time on the committee was appreciated. There will be work parties, open to all, to keep the core paths on the heath accessible through the summer — essential with bracken growing up to eight feet high! The committee is also working on a management plan to improve the biodiversity of the heath and to make it an even better place for all to visit.

June Collier continues her work on Crecy Hill along with Oxford Conservation Volunteers. Ragwort-pulling time will be on us soon — vital if June is to continue conservation grazing with her cattle. Please do come along to help.

Breakfast on the Heath was a success, as always, with many attending despite the weather. Thanks to Jane Walker and her team for organising, setting up and clearing away so well. This is such a wonderful Tackley tradition, which has been going since the early nineties.

Jan Read continues to be our allotment rep, sorting out problems and keeping on top of the waiting list — which is no mean feat at times. Thank you to everyone who is waiting patiently for an allotment to become available. We are aware that more space is required.

There are so many clubs and activities in the village, and I’d love to thank everyone involved for providing companionship, entertainment and education to all ages from Silver Threads to Toddler Group, Book Club, WI, the Scout Group, Gardening Club, Local History Group, the car scheme, bell-ringers, Macmillan Cancer Support fundraisers, Craft Club, Wheelers, Walking Group and the Horse Show committee. Everyone who volunteers to help run these groups is amazing.

New District Councillor

After the elections in May we have a new district councillor, Genny Early. It is wonderful that residents of the Tackley and Stonesfield ward have elected another Green Party councillor to the West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) team. We wish her well, and hope to see her at some of our meetings along with councillors Tim Sumner (WODC) and Andy Graham from Oxfordshire County Council (OCC).

Parish Councillors

This year was a parish council election year. As ever, we were hoping for more than seven people to come forward to be councillors so we could actually have an election. However, with Richard Jackson standing down and only one new nominee, no actual election was possible. We welcome John Gibbons to the team and look forward to working with him. Thanks to Richard for the work he’s put in over the past three years.

Flooding

We have had flooding in the village for many years, not helped this year by the very wet winter and spring. The Rousham Road bund has been full on several occasions — we are so grateful for that being built and then extended a few years ago.

There is more to do, though, and we have had meetings and a walk round with the flood risk team from OCC and local landowners. The team is still working on potential changes to help slow the flow of water, which we hope can be implemented over the coming year or two. Andrew Peake has also conducted drain work and surveys on Tackley Estate, which is helpful at The Green end of the village.

Railway Crossing

The rail crossing and bridleway continue to be a source of concern for many. The inquiry into the re-routing of the bridleway will run from 18 June, for nine days, at the Holiday Inn at Peartree Roundabout. Anyone may attend, but you will only be permitted to speak if you submitted comments and have been informed that you can.

The proposed bridleway route is not safe, and we hope that the inquiry will show this and force a move to a safer route further from the track.

As for the bridge, it seems the consultation was a mere formality. Some will be aware that Network Rail put in an application for ‘prior permission’ from WODC. Councillor Angus Paxton looked into what this meant. While Network Rail referenced the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 to ask for prior permission, the Oxford and Rugby Railway Act of 1845 means they actually didn’t have to. These old Acts of Parliament have not been reformed or modernised, which mean the railways remain free to do as they please on land they own.

Roads

The roads throughout the village are still problematic, particularly after the wet winter and spring. Thanks to Andy Graham for pushing for the resurfacing of the road to Sturdy’s Castle.

The running water down Whitehill continues to be a problem, which we are pushing OCC Highways to fix. When it is wet or icy, please go around by the main road, if possible, to reduce the damage to the road and the chance of accidents. If you do need to go via Whitehill, please be mindful of the potholes. When they are part of a large puddle, they are easily missed and will damage tyres.

The 20 mph scheme is now in place and seems to be working well. As a pedestrian it feels very noticeable. Vehicle-activated signs help remind drivers as they enter the village.

There has been an increase in cars parked illegally on pavements recently. Please remember there are many in the village who need prams, pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters. It is not safe or practical for them to go along the road; so please park on the road, not the pavements.

S106 Money

We are waiting to hear back from WODC about whether Section 106 money can be spent on extensions to the village hall as well as putting in a new accessible toilet and a pump track.

Graveyard

There is a need to find a long-term solution to the lack of available space in the graveyard. Councillor Sue Lygo, Rev Harriet Orridge and Andrew Peake will be meeting in June to discuss whether there are any possible options.

Thank You

Finally, I’d like to thank Tackley’s councillors and our clerk, Cherie Carruthers, for the time they put into meetings and all the work they do in between.

Village Hall

Firstly, we would like to thank Geoff Chambers who is standing down from his position on the committee. While we are saddened to see him leave, we are immensely grateful for his dedicated service and contributions to the village hall and the wider community of Tackley.

Tackley Village Memorial Hall (TVMH) has been making brilliant progress since its AGM in February.

We have had two ‘working parties’ where, for a few hours at the weekend, members of the committee have completed various jobs including sorting the outside container, cleaning windows and doors, fixing the front and side doors, throwing out old/broken/unused things, PAT testing all electronics, and painting the skirting boards. A special thank-you is due to Lionel Golder who pressure-washed the slabs outside the side doors for us.

We have assessed other areas, such as the ventilation and sound system, and are progressing on bringing third parties to come and assist us with those.

In the last newsletter we mentioned that Tackley’s Pop-Up Pub is being brought ‘in house’. This has now been done, and we are working to ensure we can support this wonderful community as best we can. This includes offering bar services at events in the village hall.

We would like to thank everyone who helps and volunteers at Pop-Up Pub – be it bar work, catering, helping clear up or otherwise – for all your hard work and for making our Friday nights joyful and full of good memories! We would also like to thank all of you who come to Pop-Up Pub and support the local community.

Tackley PTA have been doing all sorts of fundraising for their new outdoor building, and have been doing incredibly well. Before the Pop-Up Pub was brought back in house, a donation of £3,000 was given from Pop-Up Pub funds to aid their project. We look forward to seeing the results of their hard work!

As you may have noticed, we have three new wonderful benches outside. A big thank-you to Tim from Big Foot Garden Projects for this work. Tim also came and treated the benches with teak oil for free, for which we are extremely grateful. We hope you all enjoy them as much as we do.

Now for the really exciting news! With the growth of the village, the hall has felt rather crowded at times and we feel it hinders our ability to serve the community to the best of our abilities. We are currently working with architect Neil Clark who has provided us with a scope of work to be completed.

Neil is going to present us with two or possibly three sketches of ideas which we will share with you, the community, as it is important that this project meets the needs of the people and our future generations. We will be sharing these images through various different mediums, including at Pop-Up Pub, to ensure we reach as many of you as we can.

If you have any questions or would like to see the brief of this project, please reach out to anyone on the committee. You can find us at Pop-Up Pub on Fridays, or see the Village Hall tab on the Tackley website for contact information.

Rail User Group

Tackley Rail User Group has created a survey to find out what people in the village think about the trains.

This is the first such survey for more than 30 years, and First Great Western and the Department for Transport are looking forward to discussing the results with us.

So if you want Sunday trains all year round, late night Saturday trains, cheaper fares — this is your chance to let your views be known.

It takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and even if you currently don’t use the trains your views are still very important. We will keep the survey open for the month of June. Find it at: tackley.link/trainsurvey

For those who don’t have access to the Internet, there are hard copies available in the shop.

There is also now a Tackley Rail User Group web page.

Médecins Sans Frontières Fundraiser

The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) fundraiser on 3 May at Pop-Up Pub raised £1,015. A further £213 was donated by the Breakfast on the Heath team, and the JustGiving page raised an additional £1,010 making a grand total of £2,238 — a fantastic result.

Thank you to the Pop-Up Pub, Breakfast on the Heath team, all who donated prizes and – most importantly – everyone who gave so generously.

The following lovely email was sent by MSF in recognition of your generosity:

Dear Alan,

It’s great to hear from you. Thank you so much for getting in touch in regards to your recent fundraiser. It sounds like a fantastic event!

Gifts such as this makes our work possible as it allows us to remain independent from political, religious and economic interests, thereby ensuring our freedom to provide medical assistance whenever and wherever it is needed.

Your support enables us to reach those most forgotten and at risk and means that we can offer treatment to people who struggle to get even the most basic medical care, due to conflict, exclusion, or poverty.

To give you an idea of how much of an impact your fundraising could have, £2,000 could help buy 10 sets of surgical equipment vital to our work in emergencies.

On behalf of our staff and patients around the world, thank you very much for your support.

Best wishes,

Sophie Maguire
Community Fundraising Officer

Scout Group’s 40th Year Could Be Its Last

The 1st Tackley & Heyford Scout Group started in 1984, which makes this year a celebration of forty years. But the continuation of the group is now at risk because of a lack of volunteer support. The group is reaching out to the local communities to let them know what is happening, and explain how valuable the Scouting Movement is in providing kids with important life skills.

The group attracts young people – boys and girls equally – aged six to fourteen from Tackley and the surrounding villages of Begbroke, Bladon, Bletchingdon, Heyford, Kirtlington, Stonesfield, Woodstock and Wootton.

Scouting provides an opportunity outside of school to socialise with other young people, building confidence and character. It exposes children to challenges and provides practical training and advice on how to deal with them. Everything from gardening to navigation, fire safety to local knowledge, hiking to digital skills, and local projects — and every year they get the opportunity to go off on camping trips and adventures. It opens their hearts and minds to a wide range of issues including disability and mental health.

Recent studies have shown that people who were in the Scouts or Guides in childhood have better mental health in later life. Analysis of a study of 10,000 people found ex-members were 15% less likely than other adults to suffer anxiety or mood disorders at the age of 50. Researchers believe it could be the lessons in resilience and resolve that such organisations offer that has a lasting positive impact. The researchers said their findings indicated that programmes that help children develop skills such as self-reliance and teamwork, and encourage being active outdoors, may have lifelong benefits.

The group has also seen similar trends with people who are autistic or have ADHD.

Scouting can also create lasting friendships, as can be seen in the following interview with Emma Pamphilon from Tackley, who has been through all the age groups in the Scouting organisation. Now an adult leader at 19, she reminisces with the Cubs about her valuable experience.

Questions and interview by Cubs Wilfred Craig (Begbroke) & Zain Khogil (Kirtlington)

Wilf: How was it going through the Scout stages?

Emma: It was quite fun. I met my whole friend group going through. My friend group I have now — we started in Beavers together and we went to different schools and we’re all still friends now at like 18, 19, 20 — all of those ages. Which is quite cool.

Zain: What was the funniest thing you ever did?

Emma: Has to be the Scout camps. We all used to pile in one minibus and then go to the New Forest, and we would spend a whole week doing activities. One year our whole camp flooded and all of our tents got soaked. One of us got ants in our tents cos (why we have the rules now) we all brought sweets and stuff and we got an ant infestation! We all went to a waterpark one day. We did a big bike ride round Devon. So that was really cool. When I was in Explorers, we did real life Monopoly. Literally, you’re the game piece and you have to travel around the whole of London going to the different places on the board. That was a Scouts-organised event which was really cool.

Wilf: What’s the happiest thing you’ve done in Cubs?

Emma: We did a lot of raising money. I remember we tried to fit as many Cubs as we could into a Mini car. I think we got about 13 of us squashed into one car to raise money for Comic Relief. We did another one to raise money for WaterAid and did a massive hike from Tackley to Thrupp carrying jugs of water. It made us really happy to raise money for important causes. Also volunteering at the Tackley Horse Show. You’re with your friends. Happy memories.

Wilf: What’s your favourite badge?

Emma: My favourite badge has to be ‘Time on the Water’. You get to see the different numbers as you’re progressing through the different levels — canoeing, kayaking. Also the ‘Nights Away’ badge is really cool.

Zain: What friends did you make at Cubs?

Emma: Literally all of my friend group. Do you remember Freya? She was another young leader with me. We did Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, everything together. We all met through Scouting. I wouldn’t know my friends unless I did Scouts. You meet forever friends and they are your family.

Wilf: Is Scouting the funniest thing you do?

Emma: One hundred percent. When I left Explorers – when it shut down – me and Freya had so much fun doing things on a Wednesday night we didn’t know what to do, so we signed up to be Young Leaders so we could come back and continue helping because it was just so much fun. Such a nice way to spend your Wednesdays. It’s all I’ve ever known.

From its small beginnings in 1984, the Tackley Scout Group grew until it peaked around 2020 with more than seventy young people. There were 23 adults, with 10 of these actively involved in weekly sessions, but then Covid struck and the group almost had to close due to lack of funding. Post lockdown, around a quarter of its members decided not to return and, even worse, half of its leaders. In December 2023 the Trustee Committee made the difficult decision to close the Beaver section because of a lack of leaders.

This story is being seen all over the country, and Scout groups are in crisis. There are not enough leaders to run the weekly meetings, and Tackley may be the next to fall – at the end of July this year – unless volunteers come forward.

When told about the possible closure, the Cubs section were asked what they liked about coming to Scouts and what they would say to prospective volunteers. These are a few of their comments:

• Ella: “Cubs is great and I enjoy it, so if you join you might too.”
• Natalia: “We learn how to survive outdoors. Please, please, save our Cubs.”
• Callum: “If you’re interested in being a Cub leader, message Cub Scouts to sign up to make Cubs stay alive.”
• James: “I promise that I will do my best, but will you?”

Volunteers are needed to step forward, do some simple online training and then spend some rewarding time with local kids teaching them the skills to get through life. As an incentive, volunteers’ children are automatically enrolled in the group if they want a place.

There is already an abundance of experience within the group ready to pass on the skills. All that is needed is extraordinary people to carry the group forward through the next decade and beyond.

Tackley Scouts’ weekly meetings are held on Wednesday nights at Tackley Village Hall and across the playing field in the beautiful Forest School woodland.

Please email Rob Marshall at tackleyGSL@gmail.com if you would like to know more about joining as a volunteer leader or a committee member.

Horse, Pony and Dog Show

Well, what a fantastic day! Made even more special by the fact that the sun shone!

After weeks of constant rain, the ground everywhere being waterlogged, and most of the other outdoor events being cancelled, we were fortunate that our field was well drained and perfect for riding and having fun.

Having fun was the order of the day; and by the entries, results and funds raised we certainly did.

The equines did their thing, and the dogs too. We had an amazing number of entries in all the classes.

Thanks must go to the team who set up the show on Saturday; those who helped during the day: the carpark attendants, jumps team, stewards and judges — some of whom came from far and wide; and not forgetting those who took it all down and packed it away.

The caterers excelled themselves: tea, coffee, burgers, hot dogs, bacon sarnies and cake! Wow, the cakes — such a variety, and all baked in Tackley. Plus our very own Pop-Up Pub who supplied the cold drinks.

Thank you to all who helped in whatever way. The show would not happen without you.

In addition to our team on the ground we also had some fantastic sponsors, including local businesses and organisations who made donations to our fund. Thank you all for your generosity.

We raised more than £10k, which will be divided between organisations within the village and local and national charities that are close to our hearts and have been there for us in various ways.

This year one of our team members came up with an idea to set up some kind of bursary. Keeping horses is expensive, and not all children have the luxury of having access to a pony. Horses and ponies are very therapeutic and have a role to play in various ways, not only for riding. The Riding for the Disabled Association and Equine Therapy are classic examples. Some children would love to be able to spend time with horses, not just to ride but in lots of other ways. Some would love to compete at Tackley Show! We are open to ideas of ways of setting this up and moving forward with it. Please contact one of the team.

We always need more helpers, so please save the date for next year: Sunday, 27 April 2025.

Thank you, Tackley — you are simply the best!

Primary School

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the village shop, Pop-Up Pub, parish council, parents and community members for their generous donations – which are currently exceeding £21,000 – towards our outdoor classroom project. We hope to break ground over the summer holiday. The classroom will provide an invaluable space to meet the needs of our pupils. Many thanks to Sonya Barnett and Catherine Chaytor for their hard work in getting this project off the ground.

We are pleased to announce that a visiting author has joined us this term, funded by the PTA. The author’s presence has enriched our students’ literary experiences and sparked their creativity.

Looking ahead, we have clubs planned for the summer holidays. Details will be provided in due course on the noticeboard by the school.

Mark your calendars for Arts Week, culminating in an exhibition on Friday, 7 June. All are welcome to attend and appreciate our students’ artistic talents. These enrichment activities are so important for our pupils.

Our Year 6 children have completed their SATs and showed great determination and resilience. In the next few weeks they will begin transition visits to their secondary schools.

There are so many events to look forward to in the summer term, including sporting events, residential trips, sports day and our summer production. It is already looking like a busy but enjoyable term!

How Do We Grow?

May has brought with it some lovely sunshine and warmer weather, which has been glorious. I hope you have been able to get out and enjoy it.

The warmer weather tends to draw us into the garden; and many of us have, I suspect, been busy planting up the seeds we have been nurturing on windowsills. This is where I have to confess to cheating somewhat: instead of growing things from seeds, I went along to a local plant sale and stocked up!

We do now have several tomato and mange-tout plants potted up and, thankfully, growing in the garden.

For things to grow, they need nurturing. In the case of plants, this is good soil (with nutrients), light, water and air. We too need food (protein, vitamins and minerals), water and air plus a source of energy which for us is carbohydrates (sugars) rather than sunlight. These are the basic things we need to provide us with the energy and resources to grow, repair and remain healthy.

To thrive, however, we also need support and help. In the case of my tomato plants and mange-tout this is supplied by canes and string, or a trellis up which they can grow. We, though, need the support and encouragement of others.

Having dreams is a good thing. My daughter’s secondary school headteacher used to talk about “aiming for the moon, because even if you miss you’ll end up in the stars” as a way of inspiring them to aim high.

Sometimes our dreams are very big, and to reach them we need to break the dream into smaller, achievable chunks. To put a man on the moon, NASA didn’t repeatedly launch a rocket at the moon. Instead they broke the dream down into smaller aims: getting a rocket into orbit, then a dog into space, and then men. To achieve these things they needed a team of people, many of whom have for years gone unnoticed and uncelebrated in spite of their invaluable contribution to achieving the dream.

As you watch your gardens grow this summer, I invite you to take a moment and think about your dreams, thanking those who have helped and supported you along the way. What is the next target you are aiming at, and what support do you need to help you achieve it?

“May God give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”

— Psalm 20:4

Church Organ Refurbishment

St Nicholas’ Church is having its organ refurbished. This involves taking the organ apart at some point, and there is likely to be some scaffolding within the church. To avoid any risk of injury, Tackley Parochial Church Council have made the decision to keep the church closed except for services during parts of June, July and August. There will be a note posted on the door with contact details if you need access.

Methodist Church

Coffee mornings are held every Thursday from 10:30 am to noon, so why not come along and join us for a drink and a chat? You can eat biscuits too, and sometimes we have cake as well.

Exercise classes are held in the church between 3 and 4 pm on Thursdays, for which the charge is £6 per session.

We will be having our plant sale combined with tea and cakes on a Saturday in August, so keep a look out for the posters. Details will also be circulated via Tackley Notices.

Features

Features has now been running again in Tackley for just over a year. During that time we have shown a variety of films — some old and some new; some light-hearted and some more challenging. The one thing they all have in common is that they tell a good story well.

Our films are free but we have a donations box. We are very grateful to all who attend Features and have given so generously to the various charities we have supported.

From January through to April 2024 we raised a total of £410, which has been shared between four different charities.

We have a variety of films planned for the next six months, and look forward to seeing you at Tackley Methodist Church for a cuppa and a film on 28 June, 26 July, 27 September, 25 October and 29 November.

Keep an eye out for notifications through Tackley Notices and the posters on the noticeboards.

Our licence means we are unable to externally advertise the names of the films, hence the rather cryptic posters. You can, however, have access to the programme by emailing us.

Walking Group

Tackley Walking Group is a friendly way to get to know your local countryside better. There are two leisurely walks each month, led by members.

Walks on second Saturdays meet 9:30 am and are 5–8 miles; those on fourth Wednesdays meet at 2 pm and are 3–5 miles.

Our walks this season have often been beset by difficult weather conditions and flooded ground, which have meant changes to our advertised routes. We are very lucky to have such a variety of footpaths in our locality, meaning we have a number of backup walks for when a planned route is flooded.

Everyone is welcome. We meet at Tackley Village Hall before each walk to arrange car sharing, bus or train to the start of the walk. Most walks are in North Oxfordshire. Some conclude with an optional lunch or refreshment at a local pub or cafe. Routes are often suitable for dogs under close control.

Our current programme, below, can also be found on the Walking Group page of the village website. Further details for each walk will be sent out via Tackley Notices prior to the walk taking place.

Please note that walks may be subject to change, and that walkers take responsibility for their own safety.

• Saturday, 8 June: a circular walk around Eynsham and South Leigh
• Wednesday, 26 June: Kidlington–Thrupp circular
• Saturday, 13 July: Bletchingdon–Greenhill circular
• Wednesday, 24 July: Deddington circular
• Saturday, 10 August: Farnborough Hall
• Wednesday, 28 August: Begbroke–Bladon circular
• Saturday, 14 September: Islip–Noke
• Wednesday, 25 September: Combe circular

WI

At the beginning of May we enjoyed a quiz night with quizmaster John Paine, who treated us to a wonderful evening of quiz teasers with a rainbow theme: all the answers related to a colour of the rainbow. We were delighted to welcome several visitors, and enjoyed a successful evening.

At our next meeting on Tuesday, 4 June we will hear a talk on the life-saving work of the Samaritans. A former director of Oxford Samaritans will be speaking about the history of the organisation, its outreach initiatives, and dedicated work serving and supporting those in need with mental health issues in the community. It will be an informative and thoughtful evening. Ladies, please do come along and learn more about the Samaritans.

The Samaritans are always there to listen to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week: telephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

Our members will enjoy a garden party together in July, and a games evening is planned for our meeting on Tuesday, 6 August.

On Tuesday, 3 September we will welcome Ruth Madder who will give a presentation on the work of Bridewell Gardens and social and therapeutic horticulture. “It’s not just about gardening, it’s the people and the work we do.”

Tackley WI has a friendly and welcoming membership, with diverse interests and ages from 30s to 90s. We look forward to welcoming new members and visitors to our meetings at 7:45 for 8 pm in the village hall.

Gardening Club

We are now heading into summer and everything is growing rapidly, so I hope you’re all enjoying your gardens.

We had the plant and table top sale in May. This was very successful, and we wish a special thank-you to everyone who helped and everyone who had tables. It was a lovely afternoon.

At the time of writing we are looking forward to welcoming Nick Bowles from Butterfly Conservation, on 21 May, so more news on that next time.

25 June is a visit to Richard Preston’s garden in Steeple Aston, and July sees our garden party. Details will appear on posters and be circulated via Tackley Notices. Please note that both these events are for members only.

John Cooper

Dad’s life journey began on 8 March 1928 at Oakhill Farm, Northill in Bedfordshire. He was the fourth child born to Gladys and George Cooper.

His early days, once old enough, were spent helping out on the farm: up at four in the morning to get the horses ready for the field or do a bit of milking. Then a long three-mile walk to school. This is where he learnt to appreciate the countryside and all that lived in it.

School was okay until, aged 10, he had a bit of trouble with some bullies. He told his parents, who had a word with uncle Alf who took him to the local Methodist hall where they had a boxing group for boys. He spent as much time there as he could, and soon had no more problems with the bullies.

He always had a desire to go to sea. He was too young when he first asked his parents, at 12 years old, but kept on until at 14 he became a boy sailor.

Training was hard and days were long, but he soon had an opportunity to join a ship. Good friends he had made during this time were split up, being assigned to many different ships. But the real assignment came when, having chosen to be a stoker engineer, he joined HMS Belfast – a light cruiser – which in 1945 joined the British Pacific Fleet.

The Belfast supported the clear-up of the islands around Japan. And on occasion, the ground forces needed backup when liberating the prisoner of war camps. Ratings from the ships were recruited, given a gun, and ordered to support the various task forces on the islands.

He wouldn’t talk at all about his experiences in the early years, but in later life on the odd occasion he did discuss a few incidents: his encounter with a POW who he picked up and was light as a feather and who died in his arms; another camp where, when they opened a small wooden hut, a group of Australian nurses who had been captive for most of the war were cowering in the corner like frightened animals.

He was also in the Pacific on the Belfast when the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

After the war he enjoyed his time in the Navy, travelling the world on several ships. He took the opportunity to take up boxing, having got the taste for it in his early years. He boxed for the Navy as a welterweight, and won more than he lost. He remained a boxing fan for the rest of his life.

Then one day in May 1948 he was on shore leave in Southsea, walking along the promenade with a mate, when he encountered a group of girls on the beach. They were on an outing from Tackley, and he got talking to Rosemary Proffitt. They only had an hour together, as the bus was scheduled to leave, but they exchanged details and a week later Dad visited Tackley to see Rose. He was welcomed by the large family — Mum was one of eleven. And the relationship blossomed from then.

On New Year’s Eve of 1949, Dad proposed; and in July 1950 they were married. The family started when I came along in 1952.

Unfortunately, in 1953, dad was invalided out of the Navy after falling down a gangway ladder and slipping a disc.

At this time the council was building houses in Tackley, and they deemed that they should be allocated to ex-service personnel. So, Mum and Dad applied and were accepted, and moved into 9 Twynhams Estate where they lived all their married life and where Dad’s relationship with Tackley started and blossomed.

The family grew in 1955 when, in that house, my sister Linda was born.

Once Dad had recovered from his back injury, he needed a job; and with the help of the Navy he secured one at the Radiators or ‘Rads’, a branch of Morris Motors group in Oxford.

He wanted a career so, in agreement with his employers, he worked in the day and went to night school in the evenings to learn how to weld. He passed and eventually became a specialist welder.

His life in Tackley started to develop, and he got involved in many things going on in the community.

There was the sports club which ran the football, cricket and fishing in the village. He was involved for 33 years, with periods as secretary and chair. He was involved with the local pub darts teams, and the annual outings to the seaside.

He had a spell on the parish council. I’m sure that they had some lively debates during that time.

In 1969 he was asked if he would consider becoming a Special Constable to help the regular police, to police Tackley and the surrounding villages — 19 in all. He said yes, and so for 13 years he would work in the day and police in the evenings and on weekends. Not every day, but he was out for a significant amount of time each week. He loved it.

And then in 1974 came a setback in the form of a bad accident: welding underneath a car there was a petrol leak, an explosion, and both his legs were very badly burned. Both legs beneath the knees had to be reconstructed. He was told initially that he would probably not walk again. I was of an age at this time that I started to see and appreciate the special traits of my father — what a resilient man.

After many operations, six months later he was walking again; and a year later he was operational again. He proudly walked my sister down the aisle in 1977.

There was another setback in 1985. While waiting to turn down the Ardley road in his Mini Clubman, two lorries hit him — one up the back pushing him into one coming the other way. They had to cut him out of the wreck, but he survived – we don’t know how – and the fight in him to recover and get back to normal was incredible. It made me think of my younger days when I had asked him about a tattoo on his shoulder and what it meant. It was the Manx triskelion: three armoured legs representing forward movement. His answer: “Wherever I fall, I stand.”

After leaving the Rads, he worked at Oxford Bakery and WIG Engineering before ending up working for the Ministry of Defence as part of the maintenance team on the Upper Heyford air base. In all positions he made a lot more friends, and his experiences would form the basis of a lot more stories to be told in the future.

He retired in 1993, but in true style wasn’t going to sit on his backside all day. His words. He was a very good gardener, and so took on several gardens to look after. He also liked dog walking, and ended up looking after several different dogs over the coming years (though we had no dogs at home, as we had always had cats). He met many new people in Tackley and made a lot of new friends with this newfound pastime. He always had a pocket full of dog biscuits when he went out.

Just a short while after retiring, when things were going well – or so he thought – he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. All he said to the doctor was “Tell me what I have to do to live with it,” and he did just that. He also joined a research team as a guinea pig testing new drugs to treat diabetes. His view was that if he could help, then that’s good.

The biggest blow in his life came on 9 February 2009 when, after a short fight with cancer, his rock – his wife – passed away. They had been together 58 years. He never got over it, but he did learn to live with it.

He now didn’t want to stay in the house, so he moved into a bungalow just down the road in Tackley, more suited to him living on his own.

He then embarked on the final chapter in his life’s journey. He may have been on his own, but he was going to make the most of it. His inspiration to be positive and move forward was his love for his grandchildren and great grandchildren, wanting to see them grow up for him to be able to tell them his stories.

But I also believe this was a period of reflection for him. Memories of the war years and his time in the Navy became prominent in his mind. That eternal question, for which he had always searched for an answer, was constantly there: why me? Why did I survive and my friends didn’t?

The annual Remembrance service was important to him, laying the wreath and reading out one of his wartime poems in the service. It meant more than you could imagine.

He had studied meditation during his life, and was still meditating right up to the end. The nightmares from the war years were more frequent now, and this training helped him clear his mind of these and lessen the blow when he had had a bad night.

I was lucky to have retired early and been able to spend time away with him.

Each year we had a week away travelling all over the UK. He had a particular love of Scotland and the Inner Hebridean islands: we visited Mull, Islay, Jura and Arran. Everywhere we went he had a story to tell to anyone who would listen. I have special memories of our visit to the abbey on Iona.

I could spend a lot of time now talking about his knowledge of folklore, sayings from the past, his love of cockney rhyming slang (which many of you might have been on the receiving end of), herbal remedies he believed in, and natural remedies for pests in his garden. Vinegar seemed to play a big part in both. But I would need a lot more time.

He loved his garden and was an excellent gardener — I was always learning something new right up to these last few months. This along with his love of the countryside helped him to keep going. His walks round Tackley in the fields and woods, or just to the shop, were all things that he enjoyed.

He was stubborn, controversial, had his views and was never slow in making them known; but also loving, caring — a proud man. A real character; a man for all seasons.

God bless you Dad. Thanks for the memories.

‘John Cooper’ by N. J. H.

For the people of Tackley, this is a very sad day:
Our friend John Cooper has passed away.

We’ve known and loved him for so many years,
And without a doubt we’ll cry so many tears.

A lovable man who adored his cats;
Who looked after them all — too many, perhaps.

The adorable Tigger, his old ginger Tom,
Who’d wait for him loyally until he came along.

We all spent some time listening to his stories,
All of them fascinating, never boring.

John loved his garden, where he spent time every day
Growing lovely vegetables that he’d then give away.

He’s now back with Rose in a far-off place,
Always together with a smile on his face.

You won’t find another gentleman who is quite the same,
And our good memories of him will always remain.