December 1976 to August 2026
This archive contains issues of Harwell News from December 1976 to December 2025.
Issues from December 1976 to April 2001, including earlier predecessor publications produced by Harwell Parish Council, are presented as historical records. They reflect the language, views, editorial standards and statutory context of their time and may not align with current policies, legislation or community expectations.
Every effort has been made to make these documents accessible and searchable. The files have been digitised from original printed copies and include optical character recognition (OCR) to support searching and screen-reader use.
Editions from July 2001 to December 2025 were produced as digital publications and are therefore easier to read electronically and are more fully searchable.
If you experience accessibility difficulties or need help locating information, please contact the Parish Clerk at clerk@harwellparish.gov.uk or 07749 361957.
Use the search box below to search across all archived issues of Harwell News.
You can search by issue number, year, month or keywords. Results are displayed newest first. Important: The numbered links at the bottom of the page (e.g. 1–10, 11–20) are navigation pages, not Harwell News issue numbers.
Issue 030 - Sep 1987
Open Download Copy Link 491.27 KB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
This issue is a tightly packed community bulletin reflecting volunteer reliance, youth provision and everyday village organisation in Harwell in late summer 1987. A prominent notice highlights the urgent need for leaders and helpers at the Harwell Winterbrook Youth Club, underscoring both strong youth participation and the constant challenge of sustaining activities through voluntary effort. Contact details for organisers are published openly, illustrating the informal, trust-based nature of village coordination at the time. Fundraising and charitable action feature strongly throughout the issue. Reports record £950 raised at a fete and sale in support of the Six Counties Artificial Kidney Society, with funds directed to the Oxford Renal Unit for monitoring equipment. Additional appeals and outcomes include £175 raised locally for the RNLI, a sponsored walk by members of the Royal British Legion raising £200 for the Poppy Appeal, and forthcoming jumble sales in aid of leukaemia research at the John Radcliffe Hospital. These notices demonstrate the village’s outward-looking charitable culture alongside its internal needs. Village organisations and social life dominate the remaining content. Notices and reports include Gardeners’ Club meetings and competitions, Bowls Club tournament success, Philatelic Society meetings, Keep Fit classes, Out & About Club trips, Luncheon Club provision, Scouts and Cubs programmes (including trips, canoeing and competitions), and activities of the Chilton and Harwell Society. Early-years and family life are reflected through informal advertising, club notices and the availability of allotments at Hagbourne Road, managed by the Parish Council at £4.50 per annum. Practical parish administration appears through requests for volunteers to help distribute newsletters and clear submission deadlines for future editions. Heritage and leisure also feature through the Harwell Historic Treasure Trail, a community event blending local history and family participation, and through notices promoting local accommodation and riding-school facilities, giving a snapshot of small-scale rural enterprise alongside community activity. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Winterbrook Youth Club; Six Counties Artificial Kidney Society; Oxford Renal Unit; RNLI; Royal British Legion (Harwell Branch); Harwell Gardeners’ Club; Harwell Bowls Club; Harwell Philatelic Society; Harwell Scouts and Cubs; Chilton and Harwell Society; NSPCC; Harwell Luncheon Club; Out & About Club.
Issue 029 - Jul 1987
Open Download Copy Link 392.72 KB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
This issue reflects a period of heightened concern about antisocial behaviour alongside strong volunteer-led community activity in Harwell during summer 1987. A prominent editorial addresses rising vandalism, reporting frequent damage to property and vehicles and disturbances affecting meetings at the Village Hall. The piece links local experience to national evidence indicating peak incidence among younger age groups and makes a direct appeal for greater parental responsibility, illustrating how social order and community norms were openly debated within the parish newsletter at this time. Community fundraising and participation are central themes. The Harwell Historic Treasure Trail, organised by the Feast/Social Committee, invites residents to engage with local history through a timed trail around the village, with proceeds earmarked for village benefit. The Feast Committee reports on a busy programme of fundraising events including a Valentine’s Dance, a bank-holiday Fun Run (a first for Harwell, attracting 174 entries), and a well-supported Car Boot Sale involving multiple village groups. Funds raised are allocated to a heritage project: the restoration of the single-handed church clock, to be refurbished by Harwell Apprenticeship School and reinstalled in St Matthew’s Church within a glass case with self-rewinding motors, blending conservation, education and community pride. Village organisations feature prominently. Notices include Gardeners’ Club visits and talks, WI meetings, and extensive reporting from the Royal British Legion (Harwell Branch), including the opening of a new headquarters and club room, a sponsored walk raising funds for the Poppy Appeal, the annual service at the RAF Harwell (AERE) memorial stone, and social visits linking Harwell with neighbouring communities. Youth activity is highlighted through Scouting preparations for summer camp in the Peak District, canoeing and gliding activities, and the seasonal pause and resumption of weekly meetings. Parish administration appears through a detailed list of planning applications, including proposals for motel expansion at Kingswell Farm Inn, residential redevelopment on the High Street, barn conversions and new dwellings with associated public footpaths, demonstrating the steady pace of change even in a predominantly rural village. Practical appeals for help with typing, distribution and content submission for Harwell News itself underline the volunteer-dependent nature of parish communications in the late 1980s. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Harwell Feast Committee; Harwell Gardeners’ Club; Harwell Women’s Institute; Royal British Legion (Harwell Branch); Harwell Scouts; Harwell Apprenticeship School; St Matthew’s PCC; UKAEA (AERE Harwell); Chilton and Harwell Society.
Issue 028 - Jun 1987
Open Download Copy Link 417.26 KB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
This issue marks a clear governance and community-asset milestone in Harwell during early summer 1987. It opens by formally listing the newly elected Parish Council following the May elections, including named councillors, addresses and contact numbers, reflecting the era’s emphasis on direct accessibility and personal accountability. This provides a valuable snapshot of parish leadership at the point when several long-running village projects were moving from planning into delivery. The dominant feature is a detailed progress report on the Harwell Village Adventure Playground, confirming that construction is under way. The article sets out the proposed design in unusual depth: a large earth mound supporting the existing slide; a tyre mound and timber ramp leading to a timber fort; a second mound connected by a bridge; a concrete tunnel; climbing frames, stepping stones, swings and adult seating; and full enclosure within a dog-proof fence. Practical construction details are included, such as the need for substantial earth dumping and imminent use of earth-moving equipment, making this a key primary source for the origins and design intent of the playground. Parish administration and stewardship appear through notices on allotment availability (at £4.50 per annum), enforcement of a no-dogs policy in the cemetery, and promotion of the Oxfordshire Village Ventures Competition, encouraging villages to submit examples of self-help and community initiative. Together these reflect a strong culture of local responsibility, rural improvement and peer learning between villages. A recurring challenge of the period is highlighted through an urgent appeal for Youth Club leaders, noting that the Senior Club (ages 12–15) remains closed and that the Junior Club will also be at risk without additional adult volunteers. This appeal underlines the dependence of youth provision on a small pool of committed volunteers and foreshadows similar concerns in subsequent issues. Community life fills the remainder of the issue. Reports and notices include Gardeners’ Club talks and competitions, British Legion social and commemorative events (including D-Day remembrance at the AERE Harwell Stone), Playgroup jumble sales, WI meetings and outings, Harwell School’s forthcoming Summer Fete and Musical Extravaganza, and an extended feature on Harwell Football Club’s centenary season, including publication of a centenary book, charity fundraising exceeding £600 for Sobell House, and a major reunion event spanning several generations of players. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Harwell Village Adventure Playground Committee; Oxfordshire Rural Community Council; Winterbrook Youth Club; Harwell Gardeners’ Club; Harwell Women’s Institute; Harwell British Legion; Harwell Playgroup; Harwell School; Harwell Football Club; Sobell House; UKAEA (AERE Harwell).
Issue 027 - Apr 1987
Open Download Copy Link 522.87 KB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
This issue marks a major moment of continuity and change in parish governance in Harwell in spring 1987. The lead article announces the retirement of Bill Woollen, who steps down after 35 years as Parish Clerk, having been appointed in 1952 and serving as only the seventh clerk since the Parish Council’s establishment in 1894. A substantial tribute details his service under ten chairmen and alongside forty councillors, most still resident in the village, and reflects on the transformation of Harwell during his tenure — from a largely static rural settlement to a significantly expanded village shaped by the arrival of scientific and technological industries and new housing estates including Orchard Way, Tyrells Close, Broadway Close, The Cleave, The Croft, Gaveston Road, Chilbrook, Brookside and Hengest Gate. The article also documents his wider civic roles across district government, the Village Hall, Tennis Club, Youth Club and Harwell School, underlining the depth of voluntary and professional commitment typical of the period. From 1 April, Miss Rita Bosher is formally appointed as the new Parish Clerk. Parish stewardship items follow, including the installation of the first plaques on the Wall of Remembrance, plans for a new seat, and the Council’s decision to prohibit dogs from the cemetery in response to increasing fouling. Practical administration appears through allotment availability (£4.50 per annum), a full list of planning applications (including new dwellings, conversions, extensions and nursery-site development), and notice of the mobile library service. Community life fills the remainder of the issue. Detailed notices cover the Harwell Social Committee’s programme of events (Fun Run, Car Boot Sale and barbecue), active schedules from the Gardeners’ Club, WI, British Legion and Women’s Section, Scouts and Cubs Job Week, and strong participation in the Harwell Out and About Club, which reports nearly 100 members and regular cultural outings. Early-years provision is prominently featured through Harwell Village Playgroup and the Harwell 0–5 Group, both based in the Freeman Hall with regular Health Visitor involvement, while the Winterbrook Youth Club issues an urgent appeal for additional leaders to sustain provision for older members. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Harwell Social Committee; Harwell Gardeners’ Club; Harwell Women’s Institute; Royal British Legion (Harwell Branch); Harwell Scouts and Cubs; Harwell Out and About Club; Harwell Village Playgroup; Harwell 0–5 Group; Winterbrook Youth Club; Vale of White Horse District Council; Oxfordshire County Council.
Issue 026 - Mar 1987
Open Download Copy Link 511.69 KB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
This issue marks a significant reset in Harwell’s local communications, with the relaunch of Harwell News as a monthly broadsheet published directly by Harwell Parish Council, replacing the previous infrequent glossy format. The editorial explains the shift clearly: residents were receiving information too late for it to be useful, particularly on parish matters, planning issues and forthcoming events, and the new format is intended to support timely awareness, participation and accountability in village life. Parish governance is central to the issue. It records the impending end of the four-year term of the existing Parish Council, notice of forthcoming parish, district and county elections, and a direct invitation for residents to stand for election or engage more actively with how village affairs are run. A full list of serving councillors and the Parish Clerk is published, reinforcing transparency and accessibility. Planning activity is introduced as a regular feature, with applications and District Council decisions listed relating to housing extensions, changes of use near Kings Manor, development along the A417, and new dwellings within the village. Community life is represented through club and society notices that reflect a busy and diverse village network in the late 1980s, including the Royal British Legion, Women’s Institute, Lunch Club, Netball Club, Youth Club, Scouts and Cubs. The issue actively encourages organisations to submit information for publication, emphasising collective responsibility for keeping the village informed and connected. In tone and structure, the issue signals a clear move toward modern parish communication: regular, practical, planning-aware and participation-focused. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Vale of White Horse District Council; Royal British Legion (Harwell Branch); Harwell Women’s Institute; Harwell Youth Club; Harwell Netball Club; Harwell Scouts and Cubs; Harwell Lunch Club.
Issue 025 - Nov 1985
Open Download Copy Link 3.17 MB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
This commemorative issue serves as the definitive record of Harwell’s Millennium Year, marking 1,000 years of continuous village life since the granting of the Royal Charter in 985. It reflects on a year of extraordinary community effort, creativity and participation, bringing together residents of all ages through large-scale cultural, historical and civic events. Central to the celebrations was the Millennium Pageant, staged in the grounds of St Matthew’s Church, involving over 300 villagers and depicting key moments in Harwell’s history from the Saxon charter through medieval life, the Civil War, the Great Fire of 1852 and into the twentieth century. The issue documents the conception, scripting, production and performance of the Pageant, alongside photographic coverage capturing its scale and spirit. The publication records a rich programme of Millennium events, including the special Millennium Feast held in challenging weather, a major Flower Festival at St Matthew’s Church, an extensive Arts and Crafts Exhibition in the Village Hall raising funds for a permanent children’s playground, commemorative wall-hangings created by dozens of local contributors, concerts, gymkhana, horse show, school exhibitions, radio broadcasts, and a Battle of Britain memorial flypast. A Civic Service of Thanksgiving is described in detail, including the presentation of a Millennium scroll and the first public performance of The Harwell Song, written specially for the celebrations. The issue also highlights Harwell’s international connections through the visit of American descendants of the Harwell family, extensive national media coverage including BBC Radio 4’s Down Your Way, and the publication of the landmark history book Harwell – Village for a Thousand Years. Alongside celebration, it captures everyday village life through reports from clubs and societies, youth organisations, sports clubs, churches and schools, reinforcing the theme of continuity between past, present and future. The closing reflections assess the financial and social success of the Millennium year and formally mark the return to “normal service” for the parish newsletter. Organisations featured: Harwell Millennium Committee; Harwell Parish Council; Harwell Feast Committee; St Matthew’s Church; Harwell Primary School; Harwell Village Hall; Harwell Gardeners’ Club; Royal British Legion; Harwell Football Club; Harwell Tennis Club; Harwell WI; Harwell Scouts; Harwell Amateur Radio Society; BBC Radio 4; UKAEA (AERE Harwell).
Issue 024 - May 1985
Open Download Copy Link 1.42 MB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
This special Millennium issue marks 1,000 years of Harwell as a continuous settlement, celebrating the grant of the Royal Charter in 985 by King Æthelred the Unready and reflecting on the village’s survival through plague, war, fire and economic change. The issue sets out an extensive programme of Millennium celebrations designed to involve the whole community, beginning with an expanded Harwell Feast featuring a grand procession, Viking skirmish, steam engines, vintage motorcycles, hot air balloon, shire horses and traditional fairground attractions, and continuing through the summer with arts, crafts, music, pageantry and civic events. A major focus is the large-scale Millennium Pageant, staged in St Matthew’s Church grounds, bringing Harwell’s history vividly to life through scenes spanning the Charter of 985, medieval warfare, the English Civil War and the Great Fire of Harwell in 1852. The issue also documents complementary Millennium projects including the Arts and Crafts Exhibition, Flower Festival, choral and classical concerts, Battle of Britain memorial flypast, school exhibitions, horse show and gymkhana, and the formal Civic Service welcoming American descendants of the Harewell family. Community creativity is further highlighted through the design of the Millennium motif (the double-headed hare), commemorative mugs, T-shirts, wall hangings for the church, and fundraising plans for a permanent children’s adventure playground as a lasting legacy. Alongside the celebrations, the issue includes parish planning decisions, community education updates, an extensive events diary, and historical features promoting new Millennium publications on Harwell’s past, archaeology, families and traditions. Together, the content presents a rich portrait of village identity, heritage, voluntary effort and pride at a defining moment in Harwell’s history. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Harwell Millennium Committee; Harwell Feast Committee; St Matthew’s Church; Harwell Village School; Harwell Gardeners’ Club; British Legion; UKAEA (AERE Harwell); Harwell Bowls Club; Orpheus Male Voice Choir; BBC Radio 4 (“Down Your Way”).
Issue 023 - Jul 1984
Open Download Copy Link 1.66 MB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
Key topics: Village summer activity and community confidence with extensive reporting on clubs, outings and events; Parish Council notices covering maintenance of village amenities, recreation spaces and shared facilities; continued emphasis on youth provision with Winterbrook Youth Club summer programme including outings, sports, games and social events, alongside ongoing appeals for adult volunteers; Harwell Feast Committee reporting on Feast Day planning, fundraising outcomes and allocation of proceeds to support youth groups, community facilities and welfare causes; strong presence of senior-citizen support through the Harwell Senior Citizens Fund, including social afternoons and bingo fundraising; Harwell Village Playgroup summer sessions and welcome to new families; Royal British Legion branch and Women’s Section activities and fundraising; Gardeners’ Club reporting on summer visits, competitions and Produce Show preparations; Cubs and Scouts camps, awards and outdoor activities; WI summer programme and social events; Out-and-About Club trips; football and sporting activity reports; reminders on village courtesy, litter and shared responsibility; full diary of summer fêtes, jumble sales, charity events and local services. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Winterbrook Youth Club; Harwell Feast Committee; Harwell Senior Citizens Fund; Harwell Village Playgroup; Royal British Legion Harwell Branch and Women’s Section; Harwell Gardeners’ Club; Harwell Cubs and Scouts (St Matthew’s); Harwell WI; Harwell Out-and-About Club; Harwell Football Club; Freeman Hall Committee; local charities and village traders.
Issue 022 - Jan 1984
Open Download Copy Link 1.88 MB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
Key topics: Parish Council and community notices marking the start of the new year, including reminders about responsible use of village amenities and shared spaces; continued concern over vandalism and youth behaviour, with emphasis on community responsibility, cooperation with police and support for positive youth activities; Winterbrook Youth Club detailed winter programme including regular club nights, discos, games, crafts, trips and ongoing appeal for adult helpers to sustain provision; Harwell Senior Citizens Fund report outlining Christmas distributions, bingo fundraising and ongoing welfare support for older residents; Royal British Legion and Women’s Section reporting on Remembrance activities, social events and fundraising outcomes; village health and wellbeing notices including keep-fit classes and community support services; strong representation of everyday village life through reports from Harwell Playgroup, Cubs and Scouts, Gardeners’ Club winter talks and competitions, WI meetings and social programme, and school-related events; planning and parish notices relating to minor developments and local services; extensive diary of forthcoming meetings, socials, jumble sales and charity events. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Winterbrook Youth Club; Thames Valley Police; Harwell Senior Citizens Fund; Royal British Legion Harwell Branch and Women’s Section; Harwell Village Playgroup; Harwell Cubs and Scouts (St Matthew’s); Harwell Gardeners’ Club; Harwell WI; Harwell Village Hall Committee; local health and fitness groups; village charities and traders.
Issue 021 - Sep 1983
Open Download Copy Link 1.24 MB 2026-02-01 1st February 2026 2026-02-01 1st February 2026
Key topics: Parish and community anticipation of Harwell’s forthcoming 1000th anniversary in 1985, including historical reference to the Saxon charter of King Æthelred (Kemble 648) and invitation for residents to contribute ideas and events; Royal British Legion and Women’s Section activities and Remembrance participation; strong concern over vandalism and hooliganism around the Village Hall and Recreation Ground, with appeal for community vigilance and cooperation with police; protection of village environment including appeals not to pick roadside daffodils and reminders about street-lighting provision; Winterbrook Table Tennis Club report charting the rise and decline of the club due to loss of coaching support, with call for adult involvement to revive it; Winterbrook Youth Club detailed report covering camping trip to the New Forest, refurbishment of Freeman Hall, equipment purchases funded by a bazaar, introduction of discos, award of the Cummings Trophy for sportsmanship, wide range of sporting and indoor activities, and urgent appeal for volunteer leaders; Harwell Senior Citizens Fund annual report highlighting bingo fundraising and distribution of £10 Christmas gifts to 187 senior residents; extensive planning approvals including residential extensions, new dwelling proposals, AERE facilities and British Legion clubhouse; strong presence of village clubs and societies including Produce Show reporting, Out-and-About Club excursions, Nought-to-Five Group provision with Health Visitor involvement, Cubs and Scouts achievements and camps, football club performance, WI activities, Gardeners’ Club meetings, and a full village events diary. Organisations featured: Harwell Parish Council; Royal British Legion Harwell Branch and Women’s Section; Thames Valley Police; Winterbrook Youth Club; Winterbrook Table Tennis Club; Harwell Senior Citizens Fund; Harwell Gardeners’ Club; Harwell Village Produce Show Committee; Harwell Out-and-About Club; Nought-to-Five Group; Harwell Cubs and Scouts (St Matthew’s); Harwell Football Club; Harwell WI; Oxfordshire Health Services; AERE; British Legion Clubhouse.
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