On this page you can place small advertisements for people required in a voluntary or paid capacity, and for items lost, wanted or for sale. This service is provided free of charge only to individuals living in Steeple and Middle Aston or nearby. It is not available to businesses, which can be included in the Local Directory if they are based in the village or provide goods and services to the village.
To place an advert, please email steepleastonwebeditor@gmail.com. Remember to include either a phone number or an email address. Adverts will normally stay on the site for a maximum of one month. If you’d like to recycle your goods or give them away free, look on the Oxfordshire County Council website for ideas of who to contact.
Teaching Assistant needed at Dr Rad’s
Village Apple Juice for sale
Could you be the new chair of the Village Hall?
After 20 years as the hardworking Chairperson of Village Hall Barbara Brewer has decided to stand down at the next AGM in May 2025. So the search is on to find someone to take her place.
Barbara writes:
After our last Village Hall AGM in May 2024 I decided to stand down as Chairperson, as from May 2025, but will continue to stay on the committee, as Tuesday badminton rep. This means that we will be looking for someone to take over as Chairperson of the Village Hall committee in May 2025.
The function of the committee as a whole is to ensure the Village Hall is run and kept in a good condition for the benefit of the village and indeed improved as funds allow. This is, therefore a good opportunity for someone to network into the community and ‘get involved’.
If you feel you are that person, he or she, would be very welcome to come along to one of our monthly committee meetings and see what is involve. If your are interested, please call me on 01869 340423 for more information.
Volunteer Marketing Coordinator needed
Steeple Aston Village Hall Trustees need a volunteer to undertake active marketing duties. We have an opportunity for a Volunteer Marketing Coordinator who would work as part of a management team. This role will cover various areas of marketing with a focus on supporting the Trustees to achieve increased bookings for the Village Hall.
Once set up we anticipate that a couple of hours a week will be needed, depending on the enthusiasm of the volunteer, to undertake the duties. The main duties will be to:
Attend monthly meetings of the Trustees to discuss and agree marketing ideas and progress.
Create engaging and targeted copywriting for our websites.
Plan, create and deploy marketing campaigns.
Create and keep third party listing up to date.
Take on any associated duties agreed with the Trustees.
The post will be an unpaid voluntary position, suitable for a trainee (particularly good for a CV) or a retiree with a marketing background or interest. Contact Richard Preston on 01869 340512, or John Coley on 01869 347882 for more information
New book on the Steeple Aston Bradshaws
The Impassioned Collectorhas just been published by Olympia Publishers. It’s about Arthur Bradshaw and is written by Jane Allen, a relative of the Bradshaw family who occupied The Grange in Steeple Aston during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The publishers describe it as follows:
The Impassioned Collector follows Arthur Bradshaw, over a span of fifty years. It perfectly balances its historical moments with moments of the familial and personal. It journeys across the globe, from South Africa to America to Wales, and from youth to adulthood to death.
Jane Allen portrays a unique family, the Bradshaws, through world-wide upheaval and individual death. It centres on the sprawling grounds of The Grange. Despite any travelling this is its centre: heart-warming, pastoral, magnificent.
Richard Preston has a very personal connection to the story. He writes:
For anyone who might be interested in life at The Grange between the late 1800s and the Second World War, this book might give an insight into how things were then. But to add to that the story of a man who was possibly the most prolific collector of Fabergé, and held his
collection at Steeple Aston.
This book tells the story of the Bradshaw family who resided at The Grange for many decades. For me personally, it also gives an insight into the life of my grandfather who was head gardener at The Grange for 49 years.
It’s a great read!
The book is available from the publisher’s website Cover price £10.99
SAVA Personalities book for sale
Martin Lipson, Chairman of SAVA writes:
Steeple Aston Village Archive relies on the generosity of our supporters to keep our charitable work going, researching and archiving the history of our two villages. Our latest book is based on the 2022 exhibition “Village Personalities of Steeple and Middle Aston” – featuring more than 30 people who made a real contribution to the villages, and in some cases to the wider world. So please consider buying one or more copies (and any previous books that you do not already have) by looking at our shop HERE.
SAVA books make great presents! All orders will be delivered to your door, or posted.
If you would like to make a donation to SAVA, you could make payment by BACS to Steeple Aston Village Archive Fund a/c no.00683831, sort code 30-04-13.
Other books available from SAVA are:
- Steeple Aston at Work
- Farming in Steeple and Middle Aston
- The History of Steeple Aston Church
- Our Village School – the history of Dr Radcliffe’s School
- Steeple Aston and the USAF at Upper Heyford
- The Steeple Aston Enclosure Map
- The Gardens of Steeple Aston – 150 years of village gardening
- Steeple Aston Through the Lens -150 years of photography of village life
- The development of Steeple and Middle Aston – understanding our houses through the centuries
- Business and Trade in Steeple Aston
- Steeple Aston at War
SAVA also has available CDs and DVDs:
- Steeple Aston Book Collection: Three rare histories about the village by the Reverend C C Brookes and William Wing have been scanned to a CD.
- DVD of 460 editions of Steeple Aston Life 1973 – 2011
- Gazetteer of Houses: A full listing of every house and other buildings of significance in the two villages, Steeple and Middle Aston
- 101 Photographs of Steeple Aston: photographs from the SAVA archive on a CD.
For details of all these and more go to the SAVA website: www.steepleastonarchive.org.uk
Home Caregivers required
The North Oxfordshire branch of Home Instead is looking to recruit more caregivers. The homecare provider, based in Deddington, offers a range of non-medical services to help seniors and their families feel secure, confident and happy in their own homes.
They say: “Do you like cake? 76 year old Mary does. We have a lot of clients like Mary that would like someone to have a slice of cake and a cup of tea with. If you have a kind, caring nature this is the job for you. Great rates of pay and flexible hours.”
For contact details and to find out more about Home Instead, please click here.