News

News from GWR

We’re getting in touch as the construction of the HS2 station at Old Oak Common just to the west of London Paddington continues, meaning the railway into London Paddington will be closed on Sunday 17 November and between 27 and 29 December this year. At the same time, Network Rail will also be carrying out track maintenance designed to improve punctuality and reliability of services in the Thames Valley area.

All lines between Ealing Broadway and London Paddington will be closed on these dates, as well as the usual Christmas closedown of all GWR service on 25 and 26 December.

We will be diverting some of our high-speed services from Devon & Cornwall, and South Wales to London Euston instead of London Paddington. These services will be reservation only and will not call at Reading.

On Sunday 17 November, all other GWR services will start/terminate at Reading, where customers can change for Elizabeth Line services to Ealing Broadway and then from there to London Underground. We’ll also have ticket acceptance in place on Chiltern (from Oxford) and SWR services into London Marylebone and London Waterloo respectively. The Night Riviera sleeper will instead run to/from London Euston instead of Paddington. More information on this date is available at www.gwr.com/engineering.

Between 27 and 29 December, we will again be running some of our Devon & Cornwall and South Wales services into London Euston, with other high-speed services terminating at Reading. Our services from Didcot Parkway will terminate at Ealing Broadway, with some extended back to Swindon, Bristol Parkway or Cardiff Central. Again customers can use the London Underground from Ealing Broadway into Central London, as well as Chiltern (from Oxford) and SWR services too.

Our Thames Valley branch line services (Greenford, Windsor, Marlow, and Henley) are unaffected by these works. I should say too that the Heathrow Express will not be running to the airport on the dates listed above or Saturday 16th November.

All the revised journey details have been updated and are now in online journey planners. Customers buying tickets for these dates will therefore have the right information about their services. We have also set up a dedicated page for more information at www.gwr.com/christmas. We will be making customers aware through traditional and social media, on board and at station announcements, as well as station posters. We will also have GWR colleagues based at London Euston on the affected dates to help customers who may be unfamiliar with travelling from there.

Old Oak Common is the most significant addition to the UK's railway network in more than a century. Once complete HS2 will link the country's key cities of Birmingham and London with fast, reliable services, while easing congestion on the existing network. We're working with HS2 to rigorously plan the construction work to reduce the impact on customers as much as possible, with much of the work taking place overnight and at weekends when regular maintenance takes place on the railway.

We’re also working across the industry to understand the impact of Old Oak Common on GWR services and our timetable once the station build is complete and HS2 services start – again we will keep you updated on any news.

Lisa Wilkinson · Tue 15 Oct, 09:59 · Link

Lessons From History

A new Charlbury based production of two short plays has successfully been accepted by the Burton Taylor Studio, part of the Oxford Playhouse. The two plays, Paddy Hitler written by Kieran Cooke and An Innocuous Prick written by Ian Cox, are on in January and proceeds will be given to Crisis, the UK charity for people experiencing homelessness. Paddy Hitler looks at the often tortured life of Paddy Hitler, son of Hitler’s elder half-brother and an Irish mother: as WWII approaches Britain is desperate to win Paddy over to its side. An Innocuous Prick focuses on local rows, riots and politics as compulsory smallpox inoculations are introduced in the late C19 and the impact on the small Oxfordshire town of Charlbury. We are looking for a couple of parts still to be filled, so please get in touch if you are interested.

Tim Crisp · Sat 12 Oct, 23:07 · Link

Thank you CMC and CCC

Vaccination Clinic

Thank you to Charlbury Medical Centre nurses and staff for successfully vaccinating almost 500 patients yesterday.

Thank you too to the trustees of Charlbury Community Centre for allowing their car parking spaces to be reserved for patients coming to the clinic. This made a huge difference to patients, some of whom are very elderly, some with limited mobility. It also avoided the chaotic scenes we witnessed in the Spendlove carpark on some clinic days in the past. We thank the users of the community centre and sports hall for their co-operation and understanding.

We also thank the Charlbury Football and Social Club for the use of their clubhouse, a warm and welcoming space.

Two more clinics are planned: Wednesday 16 October (full) and 23 October.  If you are eligible for the vaccines please make sure to book your appointment by ringing the medical centre after 11am, or book using Patient Access.

Thank you.

Charlbury Patient Participation Group

Charlbury Patient Participation Group · Fri 11 Oct, 11:24 · Link

Comedy at The Bowls Club - more tickets released!

TICKETS FOR BOWLS CLUB NOW SOLD OUT! We've extended capacity and released more tickets for this showing of What's So Funny About Charlbury? so if you tried when it was sold out do please try again!

All other dates are either now sold out or very close to selling out. Please see What's on page for all dates and details.

For tickets please click here!

Adrian Lancini · Sun 6 Oct, 11:41 · Link

Our MP to hold surgery in Charlbury 18th October

Sean Woodcock will hold a constituency surgery in Charlbury on 18th October.

Book an appointment in advance if there are matters you would like to discuss or bring to his attention. This is an opportunity to ensure Charlbury has a voice in Parliament.

Rachael Gibbon · Sat 5 Oct, 09:35 · Link

Time to Party

Tickets are available on the door for today’s Oktoberfest. Doors open from 3.00pm with music starting at 3.30pm.  It’s in the big marquee at the cricket club. Anybody under 18 is free. 

Paul D Jenkins · Sat 5 Oct, 07:12 · Link

Parish Church Office Vacancy

This flexible, part-time role provides 10 – 12h per week of administrative support to the Vicar and the churches of St Mary's Charlbury and All Saints’ Shorthampton. The work will be carried out at the Parish Office in Charlbury. Pay scale: £15 - £17.50/hr depending on experience. 

dine glasgow · Sat 5 Oct, 06:54 · Link