In December 1963, an agreement was made between Parish Council and Warborough Youth Club for the Youth Club to operate from the Greet Hall for a period of 3 years commencing 1st January 1964. The signature for the Youth Club on the original agreement is illegible so the first Chairman is unconfirmed.
Extracts from the agreement included:
- Free access and right to use the room for normal Youth Club Activities – free of charge.
- Youth Club to provide the means of electrical lighting and heating to approved standards
- Youth Club to pay for electricity
- Youth Club to improve and decorate the room in a manner suitable for their activities within one year.
- The agreement to be terminable by the Council in the event of excessive noise or disorderly behaviour in, or in the vicinity of the Greet Hall.
- Any dispute arising between the council and the Youth Club over interpretation of the terms to be subject to arbitration by the Vicar of Warborough.
In March 1979 a formal constitution was set up for the Warborough & Shillingford Youth Club.
During 1980/1981 the Youth Club started to discuss proposals to change the configuration within the hall to give an area for a games room between the back room and the gents toilets. Plans were submitted to the District Council under regulations and it was confirmed that Planning Permission was not necessary.
The members of the Youth Club carried out the majority of the work and the materials cost is listed below:
Repairs were needed to the Youth Club room roof in 1987 and again some of the work was carried out by members of the Youth Club. The work was carried out during November & December. The total estimate for this work was £1218.47
In November 1987 the club members were thanked by the Parish Council for organising the lighting of the Bonfire on November 5th saying that the club’s decision to take responsibility for the Bonfire ‘saved the Parish Council a considerable headache’
From the few papers we have access to it would seem that the Youth Club and the Parish Council had relatively easy relationship, despite the Clubs apparent reluctance to pay their electricity costs.
The annual rounders match appeared to clash with the Cricket Club fixtures and some delicate negotiations were required.
Sadly, in September 1999, the club was unsuccessful in finding a new Leader to succeed Chris Buckland and the club was officially closed with the balance of funds £319.24 being held in reserve by the Parish Council should the Youth Club be reformed at a later date.
Between 2001 & 2003 limited correspondence suggests that an attempt to revive the club was made but presumably this was unsuccessful.
Names of some, but not all, of the people involved in running the Youth Club include:
Matthew Oakley, Mrs Chris Buckland, Roger Hill, R H Wicks, Colin Newton (Treasurer) Robin Dyke, Mark Osborn, Mrs Edna Strange, Mrs L Vaughan, Mr C Tappin, Michael Herbert, Heather Llewellwyn, D Major, K Baughan, L. Wark, Ralph Leech.
We are told that the Youth Club kept meticulous minutes of their committee meetings but it would appear that these have been lost.
Memories from former members
Memories from Mark Osborn
Back in 1976 Ralph Leach took over from Marion Tutty as leader of the Youth Club. They met once a week in the back room of the Greet Hall which the Parish Council allowed the Youth of the village to use as their own room, the Youth Club.
Mark Osborn was on the Management Committee and was keen for the Youth to have their own Youth Committee. Unlike other clubs they kept minutes of all their meetings and made their own decisions. They had to a treasurer and the first item on the shopping list was a calculator to help Wayne add up. Their accounts balanced to the nearest penny.
Mark Osborn & two members of the Club
The Youth Club was soon taking active part in Village Life, particularly the Warborough Weekends. We organised a Two Village Fun Run from Warborough to Benson and back and raised £1000 to pay for a Guide Dog. The photo was proudly hung in the Youth Club room.
Jumble Sales were the rage in those days and we had a huge pile of clothes to sell. There was a queue round the block waiting at opening time.
One of the first decisions the Youth Committee made was what colour to paint the room. All colours of the rainbow were discussed and rejected when someone said ‘Let’s paint the beams red’ Magnolia walls…. decision made. The Management Committee approved the decision with the proviso that the red was not too bright, it was a listed property after all. The beams which had already been painted black were duly painted pillar box red. The room looked great.
The Youth Club took an active part in the Jubilee Celebrations on the green on the 7th June 1977. When the Village met to distribute the proceeds of the celebrations the Youth Clubs advance plea for money worked a treat and carpet tiles were purchased for the YC room.
We also went on holiday in Snowdonia. We were loaned an isolated barn, no electricity or water. Washing in the nearby river each morning was compulsory, gosh it was cold. One day we came across a dead sheep. Can we bury? it they asked. They then spent all afternoon digging a hole, little did they realise the Snowdon was made of rock.
The Barn in Snowdonia
The Youth Club organised fireworks and a huge bonfire on the green on Bonfire Night for several years.
At one meeting Mark suggested they needed a project and after what appeared to be an all-day meeting, they went to see an ex-Wallingford Laundry van which had been abandoned for many years at Shillingford. Decision made, they bought it. Bushells, from Wallingford, towed it to Warborough and put it into barn just opposite the War Memorial. Then members set to work restoring it. The plan was to drive it round the Eiffel Tower. Mark booked an MOT for six months’ time at Jenkins They never did get to France but it passed its MOT first time. They had a holiday in it down in Cornwall as it slept six with an option of nine. MPG was terrible. Ralph used to take them to Speedway in it.
Another idea discussed was to do something for Warborough Feast. Thinking it was an opportunity to have a big meal. They wanted to roast a Pig. The Management Committee (for once were a damp squib) persuading them they would not be able to cook it themselves. In the end we persuaded Fairmile Hospital to cook it in their oven. We collected it in the van and then put it on a fire for show.
It was a good event but the Youth Committee were disappointed that they had cheated. They decided to go for it big time next year.
Two pigs, Steel Band , …plated meals plus a huge number of hotdogs//burger in addition to the pork – estimated attendance 1k from far and wide.
We drank the Six Bells dry. News had reached London that Warborough was going to be the place to party. A big thank you to Des Dix from Dewhurst butcher in Wallingford for all his help.
Warborough became County Champions at Rounders for several years.
We even organised Rounders for one of the Warborough Weekends for the Village.
The Club took part in most of the MORA (Mid Oxfordshire Rural Area…30 odd clubs) events during the year.
At a loss for something to do one afternoon Mark had a knock on his door and suggested they replace the concrete path leading to club which was breaking up.
They even put a new path to the window and put a new door directly into club which was a major improvement.
Mr King donated a half size snooker table.
It needed a new cloth so we held a 24-hour Pram Push round the green to raise the money. We held a grand opening and invited the whole village.
L-R – Nicola Hazel pushing Sally Hazel, Stephanie Pritchard pushing Samantha, Barry Cross pushing Philip Bland, Katie Pratt & Maggie Manghan pushing Robert Bland.
Following the success of the 24hr Pram Push event, about a year or so later we held a 24hour Cycle – this time the money raised was going to replace the ceiling in the Club. Several members including Barry Cross cycled over 100miles (a quarter of which was on wet muddy grass along the top of the green). In total members cycled a distance from Warborough to New York.
By 1989 David Hazell had taken over as leader and that year we had a holiday down at Mark’s place at St Mawes, seven boys in tents in the garden and seven girls in the same bedroom. They did all their own cooking and had a rota on the door to follow. One of the chores was to write a diary of the day’s activities. These were typed up to produce a booklet as a reminder of the holiday.
The holiday diary
I do hope that the Youth Committees minute’s book is still somewhere to be found. They did well to keep it up and Warborough should be proud of their achievements.
The Bailey Boy’s remember:
Brian from the 60’s:
I remember going to the Youth Club in the 60’s we lived at 17 Henfield View (now Sinodun View) our house was just across the road from the Greet Hall.
I remember digging out the dirt floor in the back room so it could be concreted over, along with other lads from the village, this was done in order so we would have somewhere to meet. We built a bar which sold soft drinks, crisps and chocolate. We played snooker and darts.
Marion and Ted Tutty were the Youth Leaders back then.
We went on many coach trips to The Adelphi Theatre in Slough seeing numerous groups from the sixties. Freddie and the Dreamers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Searchers, Adam Faith, Kinks to name but a few. One memory that sticks in my mind is we would buy Maltesers to throw at the girls who would stand up and scream at the groups, this was meant to make them sit down, but it never worked.
Steve (Brian’s brother) from the 70’s:
Steve went to the Youth Club in the seventies, Marion and Ted Tutty gave up, Mark Osborn took over, and did a good job.
Steve remembers playing games, listening to music, trip to Weston-Super-Mare.
Barry Bailey ( Brian’s son) 80’s:
Mark Osborn ran the club along with Dave Hazel. It was open for us on a Tuesday and Thursday. We had a tuck shop and regular youth discos, darts and a snooker table. If we asked Dave nicely, he would let us play snooker when we wanted.
We watched the film ABBA, The Movie on a projector, not sure where they hired the film.
We had a Rounders Team and were champions 3 years in a row.
The Oxford Mail have granted permission to reproduce this photo that is taken from their Facebook Page.
Back row l-r Wayne Kenny, Walter Harwood, Chris Webb, Lloyd Major. Front Row l-r Tina King, Liz Wark, Derek Major and Nina Holloway.
The village youth club rounders team tasted success in 1977, winning the South Oxfordshire Youth Clubs tournament and finishing runners up in the Oxfordshire tournament.
One year we went round the village helping to collect anything that would be suitable for the bonfire on the village Green, ready for Fireworks night, it was all put into a trailer, my uncle, Walter Harwood driving the tractor.
My dad (Brian Bailey) and I helped Mark Osborn put up the plaster boards in the roof.
A sponsored cycling event around the village green was held to raise money to repair the snooker table. This started early on one of the Bank Holiday in May lasting for 24 hours.
Barry Bailey writes:
Peter Bowsher was my best friend, we spent a lot of time together, going round each other’s homes, for play days, after school for tea, sometimes with another friend Paul Lines. The 3 of us were very close through Primary and Secondary school.
I will never forget the Friday night I found out Peter was killed on his motorbike. We had some good times together.
Peter Woodward writes:
Both Mark & Peter where very good friends of mine and i was also present the awful night Mark was killed.
Alan Tilley writes:
Mark Townsend was about 15 years old when knocked down crossing the road by the shop. I believe this was before the keep left signs and island were installed. He lived 23 The Green South. He played cricket for the youth teams and was a member of the Under 15 team that won the Oxfordshire Championship in 1986.
Photo is of Warborough Under 15 team winners of Oxfordshire Championship with the trophy taken at Thame Cricket Club in summer 1986. Mark is standing with pads on far left.
He was a quiet and lovely boy.
Researched by: Lynda Raynor – July 2026