And so to bed…

I chatted enjoyably at Wytham Church last week with someone whom I knew but who didn’t know me. Her expected article for this edition hadn’t, in the event, materialised, but I wasn’t concerned: one of the pleasures of editing The Flying Goose is being in touch with so many local people, many of whom couldn’t, of course, put a face to my name; and another is that of knowing that interesting and unexpected things turn up to fill the pages – Jackie’s article about the Queen and Alison’s article about Knepp, for instance, in this issue.

Anyway, I knew that I needed some space to introduce the next editor of your fave quarterly and to sign myself out. It didn’t matter how big the space was – I could certainly fill it.

The Flying Goose first appeared in September 2006, edited by Sarah Pepys, who now leads the editorial committee. I took over editing with issue 36 in June 2015. Thirty-one issues later I am glad to be able to pass the baton to Chris Maddison, who lives in Wytham and has professional IT skills and general online know-how that I can only dream of. Helped by Piero Stallo, he looks forward to moving our magazine into its next phase: we are all really grateful to him for taking on what is, dare I say it, rather an important role.

I’d like to give my final hurrah for all the many supporters of The Flying Goose over my editorship, starting with those who have delivered it to all the thousands of letterboxes, and continue to do so – well done you! Currently there are some heroic regular contributors – Christopher Hardman, for instance, who keeps us up to date with the Neighbourhood Forum’s work and chivvies us to get involved, and the Commoners, whose articles are always a delight. I am glad to have introduced frequent contributions from Caroline and the boaters on the canal and from the WYPC; and I am really grateful to Professor Steve Roberts. There’s a cryptic reference for you.

Large numbers of readers have decided to write for the magazine over the years – we’ve had one-off articles about all sorts of things, from an A-frame house in Mere Road to a bench on Goose Green, from the construction of the track extension for the miniature railway in Cutteslowe Park to some lines of poetry overheard by their author in a shop that was once to be found across the road from the primary school (itself a great source of articles).

The Flying Goose was started for dwellers in Flying Goose Land to advertise their activities, to find out what was going on, to share local information and, of course, to build community. It is sponsored by St Peter’s church, but we aim to pay the costs of production through advertisements, so please support those who advertise with us and tell them that you found them in The Flying Goose. If you can take an advertismement yourself or know a company or an organisation which might do so please effect an introduction to Sarah using our contact form.

‘Sixthly and lastly,’ please go on reading and writing and sending items for the directory and the calendar so that The Flying Goose can remain varied and relevant and useful. I don’t live in Flying Goose Land – I’m an interloper. Thank you for having me.