Welcome to the website for the village of Long Wittenham, Oxfordshire, England. Within these pages you will find information on the village, the Parish Council and its activities, a directory of local businesses and services, information on clubs and groups, and lots of other things too.
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The tradition of Maypole Dancing in the village on May Day is being revived this year. Diana Wright, who lives in Westfield Road, shares her memories of her time with the Girls Friendly Society (GFS) and Maypole Dancing …
My husband John and I moved in to 14 Westfield Road on 31st August 1975. Jennifer, our ten year old daughter, joined the GFS which Mrs Marjorie Edwards had restarted about 1968/70. The following spring would my first encounter with the May Day celebrations.
The girls collected the dresses and bonnets from Mrs Edwards at Challis Farm, made posies and decorated the garland, with greenery, and always the Lodden lillies, which we were allowed to pick from down by the river. The May Queen was chosen by vote by the girls. At 6pm the crowning ceremony would take place on the village cross. We had a large crowd of spectators in those days, one hundred or more. The posies were handed out to the older ladies present.
Dancing followed on the High Street just below the cross. Kathy Stratton did a lot at the time. Eventually I went along to help Mrs Edwards and eventually took over organising the dancing.
We had twenty plus girls at one time. Over the years we had changes of costumes for the girls. The May Queen’s dress had originally been (I think) Mrs Edwards’ wedding dress. The Maypole also suffered and a new one was made from some scaffolding, cut to size to fit into the village hall for practise.
As the traffic grew, we moved the dancing into the garden of The Plough. I played piano accordion. Folk dance friends would come to join me, and so we had plenty of live music. After the Maypole dancing, parents were encouraged to join in and we always finished with the Circassian Circle Dance.
Mrs Edwards retired from the GFS after thirty-two years aged 77. Joy Whitehead then took over the running and I would still go along to help. As time went by the GFS folded and the interest in the Maypole tradition dwindled. Sharon Murphy organised the girls for a number of years and then school asked for it to be part of the school fete. It was never the same.
It is lovely to hear that a group of parents are trying to bring the tradition back and I wish them well.
Diana Wright
Mrs Marjorie Edwards on her retirement from the GFS in 1991
May Day procession to The Cross 1993. Diana and John Wright on the right
Residents who are not already subscribers to Oxfordshire County Council’s digital newsletter “Your Oxfordshire” may like to download the latest edition.
Residents are reminded that, owing to the Easter bank holidays, upcoming waste and recycling bin collections will be a day later than usual.
See the changes below. There is more information on the South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) website:
Residents are invited to an Easter Egg Hunt at St Mary’s Church on Sunday 5th April from 3pm.
All ages are welcome and there will be tea, cake, squash and lots of fun.
See the flyer below. Continue reading
It’s all change in the administration of the Parish Council as Clerk Martin Elliff and RFO (Responsible Financial Officer) Clifford Bosley step down from their posts on 31st March.
Martin has been the clerk for the last six years and was a councillor for four years before that. Clifford has been managing the council’s finances since 2011. Continue reading
Following a recent question about which part of local government is responsible for what, the Parish Council has put together a handy guide that breaks down what falls under the responsibility of the County, District and Parish Council.
We hope that residents will find this helpful.
Jazz string quartet Swing From Paris will be performing at St. Mary’s Church at 7.30 pm on Thursday 23rd April 2026.
Inspired by the music of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s from Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grapelli, Artie Shaw and others, the group brings a virtuosic Parisian flair to gypsy jazz, stylish swing and tango.
This is a fund-raising event for The Friends of St. Mary’s Church. Continue reading
Residents who are not already subscribers to South Oxfordshire District Council’s digital newsletter “South News” may like to download the latest edition.
Residents who are not already subscribers to Oxfordshire County Council’s digital newsletter “Your Oxfordshire” may like to download the latest edition.
The Chairman of the Parish Council (PC) writes …
2025 was a busy year for the Parish Council. We managed or helped with lots of exciting projects, including: Continue reading
