about the village

There are many varied activities taking place in and around the Parish and we enjoy some local facilities, amenities and services. Here is some information about those we know about. If your organisation, group, service or facility is not mentioned here, or you cannot find the contact details you need for a group, please use the contact form to email the Parish Clerk.

 

TO BOOK VILLAGE FACILITIES:

For the Pavilion or Recreation Ground
contact Andy Noble on 01844 278116
For the Neighbours Hall
contact Ann Price on 01844 279474

 

ALLOTMENTS

Allotment Coordinator: Andy Noble (01844 278116)
The Parish Council rents out a small number of allotment sites adjacent to the school grounds.

 

BADMINTON CLUB

Contact: Daphne Holland: 01844 214198

Swifts Badminton Club was formed in early 1960 and up until 1984 played in the Aylesbury League and were based at Thame Town Hall, then playing as a social club until 1995 at the same premises.

In 1995, the club moved to Great Milton School where they play as a social club on Thursday evening from 7.30 pm to 10 pm Members pay £3.00 an evening when attending.

The club is very grateful to the school and staff who make them very welcome at all times.

 

Bell ringers

http://home.freeuk.net/gm-bellringers/
Captain: Graham Griffiths
Secretary: Pat Cox

The Bellringers meet at the Tower for practice every Thursday at 7.30 - 9pm, and ring for services and weddings as required. We are part of the South Oxfordshire Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers and you may be interested in their website http://www.southoxonodg.co.uk We look forward to visitors calling in, and anyone who would like to learn to ring, or see how it all works, would be very welcome.

 

BINGO

Contact: Ann Price

Bingo is held in the Neighbours Hall on Tuesday evenings, starting at 7.45 pm.

 

the bull inn

Contact: 01844 279726

The Bull was built in 1684 and is a Traditional 17th Century Country village pub. Warmed and lit by open fires, there is a cosy feeling inside, and the atmosphere is just right for either a romantic candlelit dinner in the separate restaurant or a get together with family or friends in the bar.

Traditional home cooked food is served, with a wide selection of real ales and world wines on offer. The Bull is situated in a privileged location over looking The Green in Great Milton and within easy reach of London, Oxford and the rolling countryside of the Cotswolds. It is an ideal starting point for your exploration of this beautiful area of the country and all its treasures.

The Bull has a thatched roof, oak beams, inglenook fireplace and a large family garden with lots of play equipment for children.   Local leagues of darts, Aunt Sally and Cribbage are also played regularly.

 

CHURCH - St Mary the virgin Church of England

Rector: Victor Story (01844 279498)
Church Warden: position vacant

Like many other old parish churches, St Mary’s has come down to us from different periods of building. Part of the Church was built not long after the Norman Conquest in 1066. We can see for ourselves the little bit that goes back to a distant age by the narrow window in the chancel.

It is our benefactors, the craftsmen and the people who have worshipped in a loving and caring way that has made our church so beautiful. The history of the Church is a living monument to the people who have used and loved this building. The families known, and the families unrecorded, from the village of Great Milton who have worshipped week by week: all those people at some time have wished to leave some historic record.

St Mary’s warmly welcomes you and, if you are new to Great Milton, please do make yourselves known to us.

Services are always published in the Parish Bulletin, but as a rule the times of our Services are:

1st Sunday of the month	8am	Holy Communion
2nd Sunday	9.30am	Sung Communion
3rd Sunday	11am	Family Service
4th and 5th Sundays	10am	Benefice Communion
The Benefice Service rotates around the three parishes in our united benefice

 

church - Methodist Church

Minister: Revd Derek Chambers BA  (01844 212019)

Services:

2nd Sunday of the month	9.30am	Family Service
Other Sundays	11am
Every 2nd Monday of the month	6pm	Service held at Common Room, Fullers Field, Great Milton

 

cricket club

Contact: Anne Price
www.greatmiltoncc.com

 

 

Cycling Club

Contact: Bill Fox (01844 279716)

A group of village cyclists meet regularly every Saturday morning at 10 am and at 6.30 pm on Tuesdays when the evenings are light.

 

Football

Contact: Chris Turton (07731 737184)

 

GREAT HASELEY AND DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Contact: Liz Moyses, Membership Secretary, 01844 279875
or any committee member.

The Society’s origins date from the “Dig for Victory” drive during the Second World War. After the war it became a Village Produce Association and in the mid-fifties it became “The Great Haseley Horticultural Society”. More recently this was extended to include the district. In 2006 the Society received charitable status.

The Main event in the Society year has always been the Annual Show. In the early years the show was held at Elm Platt under canvas and included a fun fair. Later on the show included a carnival in the school playground with dancing, fancy dress parades, Carnival Queen and sideshows. In more recent times the show has rotated around the local villages and members’ gardens. Today it still incorporates many of the traditional elements of the original show such as competitive classes, side shows, entertainment for all ages and teas. It is always held on the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Membership costs £5 per family and has a number of benefits in addition to advance information about the show. Newsletters are delivered free to members with information and news about forthcoming events. A seed catalogue (including potatoes and onion sets) is made available to all members during the winter; the Society obtains discounts of up to 30 per cent on its orders. During the summer and autumn the Society organises visits to a number of gardens, some of which are generally not open to the public. Each year there is a Christmas lecture and another at the AGM which is held in March. Recent subjects have included the Waterperry Herbaceous Border and Wild Flower Meadows.

 

great milton ce primary school

School Secretary: Rhona Biel (01844 279388)
www.great-milton.oxon.sch.uk

Great Milton Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled school located in the village of Great Milton which lies between Thame and Wheatley in the South Oxfordshire countryside.  There has been a school in the village of Great Milton for over 130 years. The original school was built in the centre of the village in 1864. A new school was opened in 1971 about 100 yards down the road on a larger, more open site. Due to rising pupil numbers, this school was extended in 1994 with two more classrooms and a sports hall. The old school building has been converted into two private properties.

Children enter school with an eagerness and enthusiasm for learning, and teaching staff seek to nurture and sustain this love of learning and also to work in partnership with parents and the local community to achieve this aim.  The use of a wide range of teaching methods and learning opportunities ensures that pupils are offered a rich and varied educational experience, including modern foreign language which is taught from Reception upwards.  Following its last Ofsted inspection, the school was described as a very good school where relationships and the provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development were very good.   The pupils enjoyed the challenge presented in lessons because of the quality of teaching. Pupils in Year 6 made good progress in English, maths, science, and attained standards that were well above average.

Older pupils are encouraged to develop a responsible and caring attitude towards younger ones and this is promoted through a buddy system. The children take an active part in the development and management of the environment and of the school. 

The school offers wrap around care from 8.00am to 6.00pm through the popular breakfast and after school club, a variety of music and sports, and is involved in the Healthy Schools scheme offering milk, fruit and cooked school lunches.

A strong Governing Body and ‘The Friends of Great Milton School’ play an active part in the life of the school.   The children and staff are very proud of our school, its history and its achievements and will continue to build upon this in the years to come and strive to ensure that the school plays an active part in village life.

 

great milton singers

Contact: Kate Billimore (01844 339236)

The Great Milton Singers, started around seven years ago, have become an established and proficient choir of around 30 regular singers. We meet on Thursdays. Our rehearsal setting and atmosphere are relaxed and friendly, but we work hard and give concerts of a remarkably high standard, accompanied by musician friends who remark on the unique and delightful experience they enjoy with us.
From a small band of villagers,  we have become a strong and capable choir. Our recent performances include Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem and Carl Orff's incredible Carmina Burana, as well as a number of concerts of shorter, lighter but no less challenging pieces.
We generally give two concerts a year in St Mary's Church, as well as singing for the Christmas Carol service and other occasions. We have performed three times to a packed chapel in Oxford's Keble College, and we were invited to take part in the BBC's Songs of Praise at Blenheim Palace.

 

Junior Sports

Contact: Andy Noble (01844 278116)

Junior Sports runs every Saturday morning during term time from 10.00 am to 12 Noon on the Recreation Ground. It offers a mixture of exercise and sports training to boys and girls from the ages of 5 to 11, and the emphasis is on fun.

Junior Sports is organised by a group of parents and the sessions are run by qualified and experienced coaches. The sessions only cost £22 per child for an 11 week term and Junior Sports benefits from financial assistance from the Sheppards Trust.

 

libraries

QuickLink

The Mobile Library visits the Fullers Field on the second Wednesday of the month from 12pm to 12.15pm

Wheatley Library: 01865 875267

Thame Library: 01844 212288

 

Little Milton and District W.I.

Contact: Little Milton: Anne Hawkings (01844 279526)
Contact: Great Milton: Sylvia Kirby (01844 279416)
Contact: Great Haseley: Valerie Shepperson (01844 278568)

We meet on the second Thursday monthly at The Pine Lodge, Little Milton at 7.30pm (Transport can be arranged)

The group covers the Miltons and the Haseleys and meets monthly for a range of activities. They include talks and demonstrations on a wide variety of subjects, visits to places of interest, occasional pub meals and social gatherings. We also join with other WIs at events arranged by our Oxford Federation of WIs. We are fortunate to be close to the WI Denman College near Abingdon where members can attend residential or day courses on a huge choice of subjects in a superb setting.

Visitors are always welcome, so if you would like to take part in the wide range of social, educational and cultural activities on offer, and meet people from your and neighbouring villages please contact your local representative.

 

little owls nursery

Contact: Fiona Young (07808 236251)
www.littleowls.org.uk

Looking for Ofsted approved flexible day care for your 2 to 5 year old? We offer a caring and fun environment for children to learn.  Situated next to and working in partnership with Great Milton Primary School, we are able to provide the perfect stepping-stone into “big school”.

Sessional and whole day care at very reasonable rates:
Morning: 8.45am to 11.45am
Lunch: 11.45am to 12.15pm
Afternoon: 12.30pm to 3.15pm

Little Owls is a registered Charity and is situated in the Recreation Ground in Great Milton.

 

MAPLE TREE CHILDREN’S CENTRE – STAY AND PLAY

Contact: 01865 873916 or mapletreecc@oxfordshire.gov.uk
www.oxonchildrenscentres.org

Friday:   9.30-11.30am, Neighbours Hall

The Maple Tree Children’s Centre is funded by Oxfordshire County Council and managed by Great Milton Primary School. Just drop in to see what is on offer to you. Stay and Play sessions are suitable for under- fives and their parents and carers, and are free to attend.

A chance for your child to:
Play with other children
Try doing new things with you
Make a mess on someone else’s floor!

A chance for adults to:
Relax and meet other parents and carers
Pick up ideas to support you as a parent

Find out more about:
How children grow and learn
Where to get specialist support and advice
How to access training and work opportunities and childcare
What childcare and tax credits can offer you

 

 

neighbours club

The Neighbours Club has been running since the early 60s and is open to everyone over 55 years. The meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 2.15pm in the Neighbours' Hall. Membership is £5 per year.

Various talks are arranged as well as entertainment from the local primary school children, games, quizzes, bingo, keep fit, country dancing, slideshows and competitions. Outings are arranged once a month. Transport is provided as needed and, of course, there is afternoon tea.

 

NEIGHBOURS HALL

Secretary: Ann Price (01844 279474)

The Neighbours Hall was given by the Reverend and Mrs Percival Pott in 1924 for the recreational and social use by the villagers of Great Milton, Little Milton and The Haseleys – hence the name and location of the building.

The Reverend and Mrs Pott set up a Charitable Trust to be administered by the Church of St Mary’s of Great Milton. The day to day running of the Hall is undertaken by a management committee which welcomes the interest of new members.

In 1999 and again in 2005, the Neighbours Hall was refurbished. It now has a fully equipped kitchen, gas central heating, a new lighting system and toilets with disabled facilities. The Hall has been redecorated throughout and can be hired for parties and events.

A range of popular activities take place at the Neighbours Hall each week, including bingo and fitness classes. The Hall has a stage and small dressing room and several times a year it is the venue for excellent, subsidised theatrical events. The premises are licensed to hold 100 people and there is a large car park to the rear.

 

neighbourhood watch

Great Milton Co-ordinator: Lesley Bush (01844 279152)
Great Milton Co-ordinator: Liz Sands (01844 279273)

 

OLD FIELD

Contacts: David Holme, Niki Patrick, Hazel Hand

In 1896 ownership of the 4 acre field was passed to the Parish Council as an area for exercise and recreation, and this ideology remains to this day. Since 1985 the Old Field Management Committee has maintained the area with a view to establishing a peaceful, rural area for the enjoyment of local people whilst allowing an increasing diversity of wildlife to flourish.  The area includes established woodland of oak, ash and hazel, a pond and a newly planted area of trees funded by a tree sponsorship scheme. Indigenous wild flower bulbs have been planted and bird, bat and owl boxes have been positioned to encourage the biodiversity of wildlife.

 

RECREATION GROUND AND PAVILION

Bookings: Andy Noble (01844 278116) agnoble@gmail.com

The Recreation Ground was given to the people of Great Milton in 1931 and is a registered charity. As well as the playing field there is also a well-equipped Pavilion and a children’s playground.

The facilities are home to the Little Owls Nursery, the Youth Club, Great Milton Cricket and Football Clubs and the Saturday Junior Sports. In addition the Rec and Pavilion host such diverse events as the Village Fete, the Fireworks Party, Parish Council meetings and numerous other events, meetings and private parties.

The Pavilion and Recreation Ground are available for private hire.

 

 

Senior Citizens Annual Party Fund Committee

Chairman: Mick Kimber
Secretary: Chris Simmons
Treasurer: Ann Price

This committee, set up in 1972, undertakes responsibility to provide an annual party for all senior citizens, widows and widowers in the Parish of Great Milton. The party is held on the Saturday after Easter in the Neighbours Hall when guests are treated to a roast turkey meal followed by an evening of entertainment. In 1991 the committee decided that funds were sufficient to allow a coach to be hired for a “day at the seaside”. This situation remains to this day with the trip being held on the first Saturday of August each year.
Fundraising is carried out throughout the year with the main fundraiser being the Harvest Festival which is held at The Bull Inn on the first Saturday in September.
The committee meets each month at The Bull Inn to plan fundraising.

 

Tennis Club

Contact: Chairman: Mike Block (01844 278233)
Contact: Treasurer: Sue Reid

For membership details of the Club with hard surface play area, please contact a member of the committee.

 

toddler and baby group

We are a small, friendly group open to all Mums, Dads and Carers in the local area. We have lots of toys for all ages to enjoy in a relaxed and wecoming environment.

Neighbours' Hall, Church Road, Great Milton.
Thursdays 9.30 - 11.30am (term time only)

 

Three Villages Car Service to Doctors

Organiser: Sylvia Kirby (01844 279416)

Public transport to the doctors’ surgery in Wheatley or the chiropodists at Thame Hospital is somewhat difficult for the villagers of Great Milton, Little Milton and the Haseleys. As a consequence, several people have joined together to give generously of their time to set up a car service for any person, regardless of age, who has difficulty in getting to those places.

The cost of the service is reviewed yearly. The Parish Council kindly gives a grant to help towards the cost of fuel.  Passengers are asked to give £2 (return) towards the balance of running costs.

Please contact the organiser as soon as an appointment is made so as to give plenty of time to arrange a driver.

 

village shop and post office

Proprietors:  Pat and Christine Donnelly (01844 279455)

The village shop sells a wide variety of goods including groceries, frozen food, milk, free range eggs, newspapers and magazines, greetings cards, stationery, postcards and notelets featuring Great Milton village.  Fresh bread is also delivered daily from a local bakery.

In addition, the shop provides a newspaper delivery service for Great Milton, Great and Little Haseley, Little Milton and Tiddington.

Opening Hours	Shop	Post Office
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri	6.30am to 6pm	9am to 5.30pm
Wednesday	6.30am to 1.30pm	9am to 12.30pm
Saturday	6.45am to 1pm	9am to 12.30pm
Sunday	8.30am to 12noon	Closed

Post Collection:
Monday to Friday - 11.30am - 5.15pm
Saturday: 11am

Prescription Box:
Prescriptions left by 8am Monday filled and available for collection on Thursday morning.

Dry Cleaning Service:
Collection on Tuesday back on Friday, collection on Friday back on Tuesday.

 

YOGA and fitness

Contact: Yvonne Cartright (01844 279205)
y.cartwright@btinternet.com