Oakley Events Since 1942
(a history of events in Oakley dating back from 1942 to present day)
1942 saw RAF Oakley becoming operational on 27th May 1942, initially as a satellite airfield for Bicester and then in August 1942 as Westcott’s satellite. The 11th OTU (Operational Training Unit) moved to Westcott in September 1942; Oakley became home to many Wellingtons 1C’s. The OTU’s air gunnery training section was based at Oakley.
In autumn 1943, Hercules-engined Wellingtons came increasingly into use, later in the war, Martinets and Hurricanes (March 1944) reached Oakley. Conversion training for bomber crews was Oakley’s primary role which continued to the end of the war. During the final year of which most personnel were trained for overseas squadrons. Being a fully-fledged bomber station by size and layout, diversions were accepted during night bomber operations, as on April 5th 1944 when eight Lancasters of 106 Squadron landed from Toulouse. At 02:30 on June 7th 1944, a Halifax was on its approach from the south when the crew baled out, then the bomber crashed near Benson. A more distressing accident happened at Oakley in the early evening of June 9th 1944, Wellington LP252 was making a low approach to runway 025 when it touched a hedge and then a passing army lorry. It successfully landed, but a soldier in the lorry was killed and four men were injured.
Monday 16th April 1945 – Taking of at 00.30 hrs from Oakley for training Wellington X (LP 651) collided with another Wellington (LP 609) in the area, which was landing at 00.38 hrs, twelve airmen died in the incident, representing the OTU's heaviest loss of life in a single accident]. Nine men were from Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and three from Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve (RAFVR).
Fatalities were
· Flight Sergeant Colin William Burt, RNZAF, age 24, (buried at Oxford (Botley) Cemetery.
· Flying Officer Colin Baker, RNZAF, age 22, buried Oxford (Botley) Cemetery.
· Flying Officer Douglas Dickson, RNZAF, age 23, buried Oxford (Botley) Cemetery.
· Warrant Officer William Erskine, RAFVR, age 23, buried: Cambusland (Westburn), Cemetery South Lanarkshire, Scotland
· Flight Sergeant Samuel Ferneyhough, RNZAF, age 30, buried Oxford (Botley) Cemetery
· Flying Officer William Ford, RAFVR, age 24, buried Glasgow (Riddrie Park) Cemetery, Scotland.
· Flight Sergeant Eric Hitchins, RNZAF, age 21, buried Oxford (Botley) Cemetery
· Flight Sergeant Arthur Hope, RAFVR, age 23, buried: Liverpool (Toxteth Park) Cemetery.
· Flight Sergeant George Matthews, RNZAF, age 23, buried Oxford (Botley) Cemetery
· Flying Officer Jeffrey Millar, RNZAF, age 25, buried Oxford (Botley) Cemetery
· Flying Officer John Nicholls, RNZAF, age 25, buried Oxford (Botley) Cemetery
· Flight Sergeant John Redpath, RNZAF, age 23, buried Oxford (Botley) Cemetery
After the end of hostilities in Europe, orders were received to clear the ‘B1’ hanger and fit it for the provision of refreshment and succour to tens of thousands of repatriated POWs brought to Oakley as part of ‘Operation Exodus’. May 12th 1945, during Operation Exodus Lancaster PB726 of 467 Squadron overshot Oakley’s runway.
June 1945 - Prisoners Return: - The village has had the privilege to welcome back six prisoners who either left here to join the Forces or have married and made a home here since joining up. They all returned fairly well and full of praise for the Red Cross, who has looked after them so well with parcels of food, etc., during the long years of their captivity. The Prisoners of War Welcome Home Committee presented each man with a gift of £6 15s (£6.75) and the whole village was full of joy at their return.
Private E. Hawes, Royal Engineers. was the first to arrive after five years of captivity. His actual welcome to Oakley was delayed for a day or two as he had just before departure overseas married and left his wife in Thame. The villagers were happy at his return and extended him a hearty welcome.
Next came the news of the return of Private Leslie Higgs (Devonshires, airborne) who was captured in Germany and who we had all been most anxious about.
Shortly after we were pleased to hear that Sergeant F. Higgs, O.B.L.I., his brother, had also arrived in England. He was taken prisoner in Italy and his friends and windowed mother were very happy at his return.
Then came Private N. Frazer, R.A.V.C., captured in Greece, who makes his home with his brother, Mr G. Frazer. He is suffering from acute rheumatism.
Next, we were all overjoyed at the return of Corporal Fred Brown, R.A.S.C., who had married Miss Jean Claridge just a few days before going overseas and was captured at Dunkirk.
Last to arrive was Driver W. Wilson, whose father and family live in the village. All had been very anxious about him, and we all felt very happy indeed when he did arrive and were very glad that all had returned safely.
Two Oakley men lost their lives fighting in World War II
· Private George Alfred Hanks, 10th Bn. Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow regiment), age 30, buried St Charles de Percy War Cemetery, Calvados, Normandy, France.
· Private Raymond Walter Claridge, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, died aged 22, buried St Mary’s Church, Oakley.
August 1945: R.A.F. Oakley closed to flying
1948 – Halls Brewery gives the playing fields to Oakley village.
30th March 1949 - Oakley Parish Council: Lighting of the village. it was resolved that the Clerk write to the office concerned in each case and to ask the Electricity Board for an estimate for 12 lights – spread over the whole village.
1952- Oakley celebrated the Coronation Oakley Coronation celebrations began with a short service outside St Mary's Church which was conducted by the Vicar, the Rev. Ellis. After this the fancy dress procession led by the Oakley Band marched to the Village Hall where some photographs were taken and from there to the playing field were the costumes and vehicles were judged by Mrs. Pearce, Mrs. Ellis and Mrs. Boddington who had kindly undertaken this difficult job.
Despite the cold wind and rain a good crowd turned out and the Sports Club had arranged an extremely good programme of races for old and young which was very much enjoyed. The comic cricket match was a real joy and when the man who insisted on playing cards on the pitch was carried off on a stretcher, everyone had a good laugh.
The Sports Club are certainly to be congratulated on the way they organised their programme and thoroughly deserve the hearty vote thanks given by the Chairman of the Coronation committee, Mr J. Gomm.
About 200 sat down to a really marvellous meal provided by the Coronation committee and a barrel of beer in the playing field was the meeting place of most of the men. A social in the evening with lots of fun and ham sandwiches galore ended a very happy day.
1952-1963 – Annual village fetes were held. Most would have been raising money for the village hall or playing fields.
1952-1956– Oakley Village Hall was built by Oakley residents and was financed by the village. It was opened on 1st December 1956.
8th August 1956 - Oakley fete was opened by Colonel Charlier, chairman of the Playing Field’s Association. The first action by the committee had been to buy a pig as a prize for the bowling. £7 was allocated for the prize. The Oakley Silver Band was asked to play, A raffle was held with tickets sixpence each – prizes were whiskey, port. sherry, chocolates and cigarettes, some other prizes included dredge corn. an iced cake and a chicken. A marquee was hired to house the flower show. A six-a-side cricket match was also held.
1st December 1956 – It was agreed to take the new Village Hall into usage from 1st December 1956.
June 1957 – Bertram Russell resigns as vicar of Oakley
1959 – A new Oakley School opened in the Worminghall Road – it was the first school built in Aylesbury Vale since the Second World War.
30th October 1960 – New entrance gates were bought for the village hall £35 9s 6d (£35.47½p)
1961 – Modern porch added to St Mary’s Church
1961 – Oakley Cricket Club won the Littlemore Cup; they were also runners up in the Wyfold Cup.
1961-1962 – The Sun Inn, alehouse on Oxford Road closed
6th April 1962 – H.M. Queen Elizabeth II dressed in resplendent red came through Oakley after a visit to Aylesbury, where she had lunch with 200 dignitaries. The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Ordnance depot at Arncott, and they were driven through the village along the Bicester Road. The children at Oakley School were allowed to line the road and waved at the couple with their Union Jacks they were driven through. (The last time a ruling Monarch had come to the village, as far I know, was over six hundred years previous when Edward III came hunting in 1348).
1962 – Oakley Cricket Club were winners of the Fowler Cup, runners up in the Littlemore Cup and runners up in the George Godfrey Trophy
1963-1972 – Annual village fetes were held. From the mid-1960s Oakley also organised Tug-of-War tournaments
1962-1963 – From late 1962 to March 1963 – exceptionally severe winter (the worst winter since 1947) saw roads blocked by snow drifts exceeding six feet high. Snow, which fell on Boxing Day 1962 remained on the ground until mid-March though augmented by several subsequent blizzards. The thaw began on 4th of March.
1963 – Oakley United joined the Aylesbury and District League (ADL), Division 4, and became champions in their first season. At one point, they had played 16, won 16, goals for 143, goals against 8. They were promoted to ADL Division 3.
August 1963 – The Great Train Robbery puts Brill and Oakley on the national and international map. London gang held up the Edinburgh to London overnight train at Bridego Bridge at Cheddington. They stole 120 mail bags full of bank notes worth about £2,600,000. The robbers then hid for four days at Leatherslade Farm on the Brill Oakley border. John Maris, an Oakley farm worker, tipped off the police of the hideout, however by the time the police investigated, the robbers had fled.
May 1964 – Oakley United in ADL Division 3, became champions, with one game to go, they had play 21, won 19, drew 1 and lost 1, goals for 126, goals against 24. They were promoted to Division Two.
August 1964 - Oakley Cricket Club won the Wyfold League.
April 1965 – A small number of people met together under the chairmanship of the Vicar of the day to discuss forming a club for the over 60s. Eventually, President, Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer were appointed and in April 1965 ‘The Oakley and Boarstall Darby and Joan Club’ was born.
May 1965 – Oakley United in ADL Division 2 were champions again, played 20 won 17, lost 3, goals for 87, goals against 25. However, during the season on 4th December 1964 in a game against Wendover, they failed to score for the first time in 82 games and suffered their first away defeat in three seasons.
April 1966 – The result of the poll held last week to decide whether the village should have streetlights was 97 against and 66 for.
May 1966 – Oakley United in the ADL Division 1 were runners up, missing championship by one point, but were promoted to Premier League. They were also runners up in the Ron West Memorial Cup, losing to Haddenham 3-2 in the final.
May 1971 – Oakley Sports and Social Club, which has been formed to improve existing village facilities, is going with ahead plans to provide a playing area for children. At last Tuesday’s meeting members decided to put up a roundabout on the playing field. They also agreed to fence off the children’s playing corner from the rest of the field
May 1971 – Oakley Reserves were Champions of ADL Division 2 (Reserves). In a match on 22nd March 1971, John Durndell scored EIGHT goals in the 12 -nil win over Princes Risborough Reserves.
1973-1982 – Annual village fetes were held, the annual Oakley Tug of War tournaments ‘petered out’ in the late 1970s, although ‘Flower and Produce’ shows became popular.
May 1973 – Oakley United were winners of the Marsworth and District Charity Cup and runners-up of the Oving Village Cup (losing 4-3 to Haddenham)
May 1974 - Oakley United were winners of the Marsworth and District Charity Cup for second year running beating Ashendon 6-0, Oakley United reserves won the Marsworth Reserve Cup (beating Bierton 1-0). Steven Knight of Oakley won the President’s Trophy as the Most Promising Player in the League.
1977 – Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Oakley celebrated with a large procession of floats and a fete in the Playing Fields.
1981 – Oakley United were runners Up in the Field Shield (losing 3-1 to Oving)
1983-1992 – Annual village fetes (Oakley Show), annual dog shows, Jumble sales and ‘Flower and Produce’ shows. Flower festivals in the Church were also very popular.
May 1985 – Tallest tree in Oakley struck by lightning. “On early Sunday morning (26th May 1985) a bolt of lightning struck the Canadian Sequoia in Churchfield House, Oakley, in the garden of Roger and Alfred Pitman. At 04:30 the tree was split by lightning, one part went through the roof of Churchfield House, the other through the window narrowly missing a sleeping boy Alex Pitman. Electricity and telephone services were cut-off. The emergency services attended. The tree was over 100 feet tall.”.
1986 – Oakley was described in the Aylesbury Vale Domesday Survey of 1986 as – “Oakley is a friendly and pleasant community which has changed gradually from being a farming village to a larger village having a more mixed population employed elsewhere. More residents in a livelier community. Once again there are allotments and a revival of an annual show of village produce allied to a dog show on the same day in the village playing field. A bigger primary school and a village hall have been built since the war, and both the football and the cricket club are thriving. Scouts and Cubs, Guides and Brownies function according to the availability of leaders and their meetings take place in the Scout Hut in the Playing field”
September 1989 – Oakley hosted a 5-a-side competition with teams from many villages in Bucks and Oxon.
1990 – Oakley United were Champions of Oxfordshire Senior League Division One. (Played 26, Won 22, Drew 2, Lost 2, Goals For 107, Goals against 46.) Oakley were also runners up in the Centenary Final of the Oakley Village Cup (losing 3-1 to Brill). x
1991 - The Honeyburgh Bypass, which was the final link of the M40 (the 11.4 mile stretch from Waterstock to Wendlebury), passing through Oakley Parish, was opened on the 16th January by Minister of Transport Malcolm Rifkin. The 1.4 miles (2.3 Km) of M40 in Oakley Parish is Oakley’s busiest road with up to 70,000 vehicles a day, and is usually the fastest road too!.
20th April 1992 – Oakley United won the Oving Village Cup beating Brill United 2-0 in the final.
April 1992 - Oakley United Reserves were runners-up in the Ivor Gubbins Trophy, losing to Quarry Nomads Reserves in the final.
4th April 1994 –Oakley United won the Oving Village Cup beating Brill United 3-0 in the final.
May 1994 – Oakley United were runners up in the Ben Turner Trophy, losing to Quarry Nomads in the final.
1995 – 40th anniversary of VE was celebrated with a Village Day, comprising a fete with military memorabilia including a World War Two jeep.
1995 – Extension of churchyard permission granted; however it would be 2007 before land would be purchased.
1995 – ACORN village appraisal instigated and completed, there was very high completion rate from residents – highest ever for village of Oakley’s size in Buckinghamshire. (73% of all household returned, 69% of adults, 84% of youths/children).
August 1995 – Oakley Informer began publishing monthly.
2nd September 1995 – The Sixteenth Annual Oakley Flower and Produce Show / Dog Show was held
14th July 1996 – The first Oakley Weekend was opened by Freddie the Fox (from FOX FM), stalls, bouncy castle, piano smashing, Silver Band, Pet Show and in evening in Village Hall “Blast From the Past Sound Machine” A Flower Festival was held in the Church
May 1997 – Oakley United Reserves won the Bill Fenn Trophy
14th – 15th June 1997 – The Oakley Weekend featured ‘It’s A Knockout’, pet show, tombola, stalls, piano smashing, fancy dress, Oakley Morris men and children’s picnic. A Flower Festival was held in the Church
May 1998 – Oakley United were runners up in the Ben Turner Trophy, losing to Worcester College in the final.
27th – 28th June 1997 – The Oakley Weekend featured ‘It’s An Oakley Knockout’ again, line dancing, Oakley Morris men, inter-pub cricket match, stalls, photo exhibition, tug of war tournament, family ‘boogie’ in village hall and Royal Oak disco.
12th August 1998 – The first Chandos Arms Aunt Sally House Championships was won by John Pickford.
3rd-4th July 1999 – The Oakley Weekend featured the 1st Oakley Wheelbarrow race, ‘It’s a Knockout (Oakley Style)’, beer tent, craft displays, JCB challenge, inter-pub cricket match, model train exhibition, ‘make a video’ competition, photo display, car boot sale, and Family Barn dance, Royal Oak disco.
31st December 1999 – New Millennium Party at village hall featured live music/ local band.
8th - 9th July 2000 – Village Weekend 2000 – featured Church service, Car Boot sale, fairground rides, the Oakley Olympics “2000”, stalls, beer tent, Barn Dance in evening, inter-street 5-a-side competition, inter pub-cricket match.
2nd September 2000 – Oakley Flower & Produce Show ‘2000’ advertised itself as the longest running event in Oakley.
December 2000 – Stuart Tallentire announced with regret Oakley Garage would cease to sell petrol and diesel.
2001 – Footbridge at Manor Road ‘the Millennium Bridge’ constructed, costs shared between Bucks Council, Oakley Parish Council, and Oakley Relief In Need Charity. The need for a footbridge came from the ACORN survey (see 1995).
1st September 2001 – Oakley Flower & Produce Show and Dog Show took place – (No Village Day in 2001?)
16th September 2001 – The Bishop of Buckingham dedicated a new Millennium Stained Glass Window in St Mary’s Church.
2nd -3rd June 2002 – Golden Jubilee. On the Sunday, ‘Jubilee’ Oak tree planted at bottom of Brill Road, a floral tribute in jubilee colours was created on the ‘mound’. There was Pig Roast, Beer Tent and Piano Smashing (dangerous combination) on the Sports Field. There was Inter-pub cricket match. On the Monday, Worminghall Road and Oxford Road were closed for parade of decorated floats, there was a children’s fancy dress competition. The Village Hall Car Park was converted into a ‘Royal Garden Party’ feeding all the Oakley children, whilst adults tucked into copious portions of Coronation Chicken with numerous households all contributing (over-contributing?) huge bowls of the dish. AN “It’s A Knockout” competition between sponsored teams took place and an exhibition of Oakley & District memorabilia. The Golden Jubilee was a fund-raiser for Project Oscar (the renovation of the Village Hall) - it made over £4,000.
2002 – Bernwode Jubilee Way – a long distance path around the boundary of Royal Forest of Bernwood, passing through 22 Bucks villages (including Oakley) was opened.
March 2003 – Oakley Neighbourhood Watch was started.
April 2003 – Some Oakley Parish Councillors attended meeting with Princess Royal, Rural Housing Trust, Bucks Community Action and Buckinghamshire County Council on ‘Affordable Housing’ in rural villages, this led to such a development within Oakley (see October 2006 below)
May 2003 - Oakley United Reserves were champions in Oxford Senior League Division Two B
June 2003 – Judgement Day - In 2003, Oakley went for Judgement Day to bring some of the local cads to justice. There was a “Parade of Shame” bringing the accused to the Village Playing Field. The town crier, Rowland Pointer, brought to justice Roy Fennell (accused of playing too much golf); the Assassin (for being the Assassin); Frank Ashurst (for being too loud) and Alistair Brown (for being Scottish). All four were found guilty. There were sideshows, stalls and The Team Event and, of course, the ubiquitous beer tent.
9th August 2003 – Oakley once again made National and International headlines, by hosting a Great Train Robbery 40th anniversary exhibition. Three speakers included John Maris (the Oakley cowman, who discovered the hideout at Leatherslade Farm and tipped off the police), John Wooley (the Brill policeman, first policeman on the scene at Leatherslade Farm, who confirmed it was the robber’s hideout) and Bruce Reynolds (the Mastermind of the Robbery). Exhibits included the lorry used in the raid as well as one of the Land Rovers, Bruce Reynolds Lotus Cortina (used to research various hideouts), two of the mail bags, Oakley residents’ witness statements, crockery and cutlery found at the Farm, many photographs of events, the robbers, maps of the robbery - local, UK. and the world. The Oxford Mail, in particular, described the exhibition as glorifying robbery and violence and the three or four thousand attendees as ghouls – this improved turnout and confirmed the adage “there is no such thing as bad publicity”. Over £5,000 was raised for Project Oscar (the renovation of the Village Hall).
14th Sept. 2002 – Inter-pub cricket match and Art Exhibition (the latter in the Village Hall) - Over £1,000 was raised for Project Oscar (the renovation of the Village Hall)
24th January 2004 – Burns Night in Village Hall
12th June 2004 - Village Day 2004 - Oaklympics. A fun-filled day of team sports, including Gladiators, Impaired Movement, Obstacle course, huge Jigsaw, Tower of Hanoi, Walk the Plank and It's all Greek to me. The day kicked off with a well-known English athlete (number 118) running the roads of Oakley with a torch with battery - no flames (for Health and Safety reasons).
2005 – Oakley Surgery in College Crescent closed, after thirty years. Brill Surgery assured the village that all services will continue in the brand-new surgery in the Thame Road, Brill. This state-of-the-art surgery would be also able to perform small operations.
April 2005 – Bucks Council/AVDC informed Oakley Parish Council that a review of village speed limits would be made. These were completed in November 2010. Brill Road would become 30 mph, The Foresters in a 40 mph zone.
12th June 2005 – Oakley Open Gardens Day, gave people a chance to enjoy eleven different gardens in the village.
July 2005 – The Village Hall roof was replaced, and a new PA system installed.
23rd July 2005 – the fuselage of former Iberia Boeing 727 EC-DDX, arrived by road from Southampton, enter the village from Bicester direction on the B4011, turned right up Manor Road and then left Worminghall Road to end up on the airfield. It took about two hours to pass through Oakley!
13th August 2005 – Tribute to World War Two veterans, with fancy dress (theme WWII), exhibition of local WWII memorabilia, a tea dance and lots of games for children outside.
3rd Sept.2005 – Oakley Show and Harvest Festival followed by Shared Lunch in Village Hall.
27th/28th January 2006 – Oakley Players present their first pantomime Cinderella.
June 2006 – Oakley Parish Council agreed to several traffic calming measures including roundels, ‘dragons teeth’, red resurfacing, ‘SLOW’ on carriageway and gates.
June 2006 – Oakley Parish Council investigated the building of a pedestrian refuge (a traffic island) in the B4011 from Manor Road to The Nap was costed at £8,000. OPC asked BCC to confirm this figure as it will take three years for it to pay. September 2009 – Bucks Council recalculated the cost as £18,000. February 2010 – New price of £26,000 given. January 2011 – Bucks County Council revised their estimate upwards to £52,000! The scheme was dropped.
8th July 2006 – In conjunction with Hillingdon Cycle Club, there was a fun ride followed by a British Cycling event of six laps around a 9 mile circular course, starting and finishing in Oakley. Also, on the Playing field was a barbecue, refreshments, dance display, stalls, classic cars, games and a beer tent. Course. A cycle race in conjunction with Village Day (fete) would continue annually until 2012
October 2006 – A site has been found, after several ‘dead-ends’, for the ‘Affordable Housing’ scheme in Oakley and would be sited in Elmwood Close (see 2009 - Elmwood Cottages – Phase 2 in Village developments above).
December 2006 – Christmas tree was planted at the centre of the village by the Bus Shelter. Annually since then on the first Saturday of December there is a ceremonial lighting up of the tree with a carol service in the centre of the village.
27th January 2007 – Burns Night in Village Hall
2nd - 3rd February 2007 – Oakley Players present the pantomime Aladdin
April 2007 – Oakley Utd Reserves were runners up in Ivor Gubbins Cup, losing on penalties after a 0-0 draw to Bletchingdon Res.
6th May 2007 – Beer Festival at Royal Oak
30th June 2007 – Oakley School hosted a Caribbean Fete
28th November 2007 - Reverend David Kaboleh was licensed and installed as Priest in Charge of the Benefice of Worminghall (Oakley, Ickford, Shabbington and Worminghall)
1st – 2nd February 2008 – Oakley Players present the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk
5th April 2008 – Andy and Ruth at the Royal Oak opened a small shop stocked with essentials, milk, eggs, pet food, nappies, etc.
May 2008 – Oakley United were runners up in the Ben Turner Trophy, losing to Marston Saints in the final.
May 2008 – Oakley United Reserves were winners of the Bill Fenn Trophy
July 2008 – Oakley Players presented Oakley’s First Summer Ball dancing to The Soul Traders in Oakley Ballroom (Village Hall)
6th October 2008 – Inaugural meeting of Oakley Traffic Action Group: 140 villages and interested parties attended. The outcome from the meeting was that both Bucks Recycling and Churchill both agreed to voluntarily slow down their lorries in Oakley.
5th December 2008 – Oakley W.I presented Christmas Music and Carols with Marsh Gibbon Silver Band
27th – 28th February 2009 – Oakley Players present the pantomime Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs
October 2009 – Oakley Church ran a quiz in the village hall, this quiz continues annually to this day.
19th – 20th February 2010 – Oakley Players present the pantomime “Dick Whittington and his cat”
April 2010 – Oakley United Reserves were champions of Oxford Senior League Division 3
10th July 2010 - Oakley Village Day, British Cycling Federation races, games and competitions, car boot sale.
30th October 2010 – Theatre in the Villages production Movies & Musicals – a celebration of songs from the Silver Screen and The West End in Village Hall.
25th – 27th February 2011 – Oakley Players present the pantomime “The Boar of Bernwode”
April 2011 – The Turnpike by the Chandos was closed for street party to commemorate the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Royal quiz, music and competitions.
18th June 2011 – Concert on Playing Field with ‘The Oxford Little Big Band’
9th July 2011 - Oakley Village Day, British Cycling Federation races, games and competitions, car boot sale.
23rd July 2011 – Oakley United 50th anniversary – with ex-players, exhibition memorabilia and a challenge match between Oakley Legends and the current Oakley side. Live band and disco in the evening.
10th September 2010 – Theatre in the Villages production The Opera Dudes – top-quality singing, music-making, slapstick comedy and audience participation..
September 2011 –The Oakley Plant and Produce Show continued having yearly shows in the village hall in the 2000s and 2010s
October 2011 – 150 houses in Oakley expressed an interest in getting mains gas supply to the village. Along with similarly numbers in Brill and Piddington, however after being told the cost would be £10,500 per house interest waned. Despite the intervention of John Bercow MP no progress could be made on this project.
November 2011 – The Royal Oak public house was closed by Vale Brewery, leaving only a single pub. However, the brewery’s attempt to demolish the building and built town houses on the site was thwarted by Oakley Parish Council.
19th November 2011 – Comedy Revue featuring ‘Last Tango in Little London’ and other comedy sketches in Village Hall.
3rd – 5th February 2012 – Oakley Players present the pantomime “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves”
17th March 2012 – St Patrick’s Day Beer and Barn Dance at Village Hall with Jacks Maggot Band and real ale from XT Brewing Co.
12th May 2012 – the long-awaited new play area was opened by school head Miss Garlick. The Parish Council funded the project
27th May 2012 (Sunday) –Service was held on Oakley Airfield to mark the 70th anniversary of the opening of RAF Oakley (27th May 1942). There were several stalls, vintage cars and a flying exhibition by light planes over the runways.
3rd – 4th June 2012 – The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated with ‘Retrospection and Dedication’ on Sunday 3rd with a village parade to the Church, a flower festival and Church service and the dedication of the new Village Banner, Monday 4th was Party Time, Fancy Dress competitions for children and adults, a parade to the Chandos, with a street party with food for the children in The Turnpike. Chandos Arms did hot food and there were children’s games in the car park. ‘A Few Minutes of Fame’ Talent Show in Chandos Garden in the afternoon and an evening outdoor showing of the Jubilee Concert on a large screen in the garden.
7th July 2012 – Family Fun Ride and British Cycling Club Women’s and Men’s Races, followed by Oakley Village Fete, stalls galore, Barbecue and beer tent. Oaklympics were competed by six mixed teams for Gold, Silver and Bronze.
1st - 3rd February 2013 – Oakley Players present the pantomime “Flash Gordon”
March 2013 – Oakley Parish Council buy a MVAS (Mobile Vehicle Activated Sign), which will flash awareness warning to drivers who are exceeding the speed limit. Initially only two sites on the Bicester and Worminghall Road will have poles to mount the MVAS.
April 2013 – Oakley United win the Field Shield against FC Spandits 1-0, the game held at Tring Athletic ground. They however lost the Berks & Bucks Junior cup Final against Finchhamstead (1-0 after extra time)
May 2013 – Oakley United were the champions of the Oxford Senior League Division One.
May 2013 – Oakley United were runners up in the President’s Cup, losing to Stonesfield in the final.
13th June 2013 – OAKFEST Football Tournament and Beer Festival held on Playing field, bouncy castle, BBQ, Live band and DJ, featuring Evolution. Football tournament was won by Oxford and Cherwell Valley College beating Kennington on penalties.
June 2013 – New Children’s Play Area (costing £92,000) opened
6th July 2013 – Oakley Village Day – Family Fun Ride, BCC Women’s and Men’s Club Races. Oaklympics with six mixed teams competing for Gold, Silver, and Bronze (held over from 2012, when bad weather prevented the Oaklympics), many stall, BBQ and beer tent.
1st September 2013 – The Annual Oakley Flower and Produce Show was held in Village Hall, it still is an annual event in the village’s diary. On the same day the annual cricket match was played, with the Royal Oak closing between the Chandos Arms and Oakley United.
19th October 2013 – ‘Theatre In The Villages’ were welcomed back “by public demand” to perform ‘Movies and Musicals’
23rd November 2014 – The Oakley Revue, is “a great night’s entertainment” (for adults only!) in Village Hall
December 2013 – Community Orchard planted, by the Gardening Club, at the southern end of the Playing Fields
31st December 2013 – New Year’s Eve Party in the Village Hall.
1st February 2014 – ‘The Oakley Revue 2013’ grew into ‘The Oakley Revue 2014’, still a great night’s entertainment’ !
April 2014 – MVAS (Mobile Vehicle Activated Sign) locations within Oakley, raised to five. There are two locations in Worminghall Road, one each in Oxford Road, Brill Road and Bicester Road.
April 2014 – Oakley win the Oving Village’s Cup for the third time beating Haddenham United 3-0 in the final.
May 2014 – Oakley United were the champions of the Oxford Senior League Premier Division
May 2014 – Oakley United were winners of the President’s Cup, beating Mansfield Road in the final.
May 2014 – Oakley United were runners up of the Arthur Goddard Cup, losing to Middleton Cheney Reserves in the final.
May 2014 - Oakley United Reserves were champions of Oxford Senior League Division 3
24th May 2014 – Tribute Night held in Village Hall in memory of the late Ken Brown.
14th June 2014 – OAKFEST ’14 – A beer and Music Festival was held at Oakley School, from 2 pm to ‘late’; (This was the first ‘real’ musical Oakfest).
7th September 2014 – Oakley Flower, Produce and Hobbies Shore at the Village Hall.
11th October 2014 – “The Opera Dudes” in their new show ‘The Godfathers of Croom’ in Village Hall
November 2014 – Playing Field Survey show 76% of residents want some development of resources on the Playing filed, top ideas: Tennis court (72.8%); Scout hut rebuilt (54.9%), Perimeter Path (45.9%), outdoor gym (42.7%) and skate park (30.8%)
9th November 2014 – World War One Commemoration Event – “A Time To Remember”
15th November 2014 – “The Ian English Boodlum Band” in Village Hall
6th – 8th February 2015 – Oakley Players present the pantomime “Little Red Riding Hood”
6th April 2015 – The Oving Villages Cup Final - Oakley United 2 Stewkley 0 (second year in succession)
April 2015 – Oakley Afternoon Club celebrated its 50th anniversary, formed in 1965 as the Darby & Joan Club.
2nd May 2015 – John Cash Tribute band at the Chandos Arms
May 2015 – Oakley United were the champions (on goal difference) of the Oxford Senior League Premier Division for second year in succession. The team played 24 games, won 18, drew 1, lost 5, total points 55.
June 2015 – ‘Acorn Trail’ path was completed providing 1.5m wide asphalt surface from Village Hall car park past Scout Hut to Worminghall Road. It is envisaged that this may be a safer route and will alleviate ‘school traffic congestion’ in the Worminghall Road as parents can park in the village hall car park and walk their charges to school from there.
13th June 2015 – OAKFEST ’15 – A beer and Music Festival was held at Oakley School, from 2 pm to ‘late’.
4th July 2015 – the annual Cycle Race organised by Hillingdon Cycle Club and Mr Scott Holmes came again to Oakley. .
4th July 2015 – The Brilltones, a five-piece male/female band playing popular covers from the last four decades, played at Oakley Village Hall in aid of the Local Air Ambulance
1st October 2015 – All-weather Bowling Green opened on the Playing field by BBC weatherman Bill Giles OBE. Work having been started on 26th May.
17th October 2015 – Theatre in the Villages presented ‘Victor and Albert’, a musical comedy duo at the village Hall.
30th October 2015 – Oakley Community Café started a venture for the village set up by Oakley residents. A place that people form the village can gather for a chat, to meet new people and to enjoy a cuppa and piece of cake.
21st November 2015 – “The Ian English Boodlum Band” in Village Hall, sixth year.
22nd December 2015 – A disastrous fire at Oxford Vehicle Recycling destroys many vehicles and several caravans, on the Bicester Road.
16th January 2016 – Oxford Welsh Male Voice Choir “In Concert” in Oakley Village Hall. This was the last Oakley Events production, which had run about six village events a year, every year since 1996 (twenty years)
11th June 2016 – OAKFEST ’16 - A beer and Music Festival was held at Oakley School, from 1 pm to ‘late’. 700 adults and 300 children attended, raising a total of £9,500.
4th September 2016 –The Oakley Produce and Flower Show, run by the Gardening Club.
22nd October 2016 – Grand Bazaar at Oakley Village Hall organised by the Oakley Afternoon Club
29th November 2016 – Christmas Shopping Event, hosted by Oakley Pre-School held an evening of festive shopping and refreshments in the Village Hall.
27th – 28th January 2017 – Oakley Players present the pantomime ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in Oakley Village Hall.
10th June 2017 – OAKFEST ’17 - A beer and Music Festival was held at Oakley School, from 1 pm to Midnight. Raised a total profit of £10,970.
Friday, 28th April 2017 – Laying of Victoria Cross commemorative stone was laid next to the war memorial at St Mary’s churchyard. A service to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the action in Fayet, France for which Oakley-born Company Sergeant Major Edward Brooks of the 2/4th Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry was awarded the Victoria Cross. Only two V.C. were awarded to Buckinghamshire-born men. The ceremony was attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Bucks, the Rifles regiment, Bucks County Councillors, Aylesbury Vale District Councillors, relations of CSM Edward Brooks, Oakley residents and the Marie of Fayet. The ceremony was followed by a large two-day exhibition of Oakley World War One and Victoria Cross exhibits, Soldiers of Oxfordshire, the Western Front Assoc. and a diorama of the Fayet battle scene. The weekend culminated with a World War One flying display of a German plane and a British plane over the Village Playing Fields.
14th August 2017 – A devasting fire destroyed the Scout hut on the playing field.
3rd September 2017 –The Oakley Produce and Flower Show, run by the Gardening Club continues its long run.
9th September 2017 – The Tour of Britain Cycle Race came through Oakley, as part of 115.1 mile Stage 7 from Hemel Hempstead to Cheltenham.
10th November 2017 – Oakley Community Bus start operation on a weekly basis going to Bicester every Friday.
11th November 2017 – Arts and Craft Fair at Oakley Village Hall
28th November 2017 – Christmas Shopping Evening, hosted by Oakley Pre-School – an evening of festive shopping & refreshments.
21st December 2017 – Christmas table centre workshop at Oakley Village Hall.
3rd February 2018 – The Oakley Revue, Live Music and Comedy, strictly adults only in the Village Hall.
27th April 2018 – Oakley Mummers performed at pubs in Oakley, Brill, Ickford and Worminghall on their 25th annual tour of the villages.
9th June 2018 – OAKFEST ’18 - A beer and Music Festival was held at Oakley School, from 12:45 pm to Midnight. OakFest ’18 made a profit of £10,330.
7th July 2018 – The Will Houghton Road Race 2018 was held racing seven laps of a circuit which runs through Boarstall and Arncott. This was the ten years after the first Oakley Cycle Race.
15th July 2018 – Oakley Afternoon club Summer Fete, at the Village Hall and Playing Field.
July 2018 – The Buckinghamshire Mobile Library ceased operating; it had supplied Oakley with library books since at least 1986. In early years, there were six stops within Oakley, although in the past five years this had been reduced to two stops.
September 2018 – The Government announced the preferred route for a proposed Oxford-Cambridge Expressway was ‘corridor B’. This would possibly skirt Oakley parish to the east, around two miles from the village (mainly due to the avoidance of building over/though Brill Hill or Muswell Hill). The main concern locally was that the route would generate one million houses along 75-mile length, the rural landscape around this part of Buckinghamshire would be under threat.
2nd September 2018 – The Oakley Flower, Produce and Craft Show has held in Oakley Village Hall.
4th November 2018 – Arts and Crafts Fair held in Oakley Village Hall.
11th November 2018 – Oakley celebration of the Centenary of the Armistice marking the end of World War One, following a church service and the planting of a Peace Tree’ in Oakley Playing field, another World War One exhibition was held which was more Oakley-orientated that the VC exhibition. Much of the information was transferred to the www.oakleyvc.org website.
27th November 2018 – The Annual Shopping Evening has held at Oakley Village Hall.
1st/2nd February 2019 – Oakley Players presented the pantomime “Robin Hood and the Babes In The Wood”.
26th April 2019 – Oakley Mummers performed at pubs in Oakley, Brill, Ickford and Worminghall
May 2019 – The Oakley Community Shop project got underway with a village questionnaire. The project had come from an initiative from Oakley Parish Council first raised in October 2018.
8th June 2019 – OAKFEST ’19 – The sixth Music and Beer Festival was held on the school field from 1 pm until Midnight. It recorded a £10,215 profit
6th July 2019 – Oakley Cycle race was held, the finish of the race this year was at the entrance to the village on the Worminghall Road, this was to avoid accidents/crashes, which had occurred in previous years.
August 2019 – Multi Use Games Area (MUGA – pronounced ‘mugger’) completed on the Playing Field, close to the School. It will provide all-weather surface for football, basketball, tennis and other physical activity.
1st September 2019 – The Oakley Flower, Produce and Craft Show has held in Oakley Village Hall.
3rd November 2019 – Arts and Crafts Fair held in Oakley Village Hall.
3rd November 2019 – Oakley Walking Football, for the over 50s, began at 10:30 on Sunday mornings in the MUGA.
23rd November 2019 – “The Boodlum Band” returned to Village Hall by popular demand.
6th June 2020 – OAKFEST ’20 – The seventh Music and Beer Festival was held on the school field from 1 pm until Midnight.
July 2020 – Acorn Trail lighting has now been installed; the lights come on at dusk for several hours.
2021 – Oakley Parish Council buys the last pub in Oakley: The Chandos Arms. Brandon Marais and Matteo Romeo are licensees, Oakley Village Pub Limited, is a Community Benefit Society, will manage the building and the tenancy.
20th December 2021 – Christmas table centre workshop at Oakley Village Hall
2022 – Platinum Jubilee celebrations!!
2022 – Oakley Playing Field Development 2022 project launched. This will involve purchasing picnic tables for various sites in the Playing Field, new equipment in the Children’s Play area and a 650-metre perimeter path around the Playing Field.