A Week in Hendred

The working day

Because of our busy modern lives we are thankful for the opportunity to have essential items delivered early in the morning, directly to our homes. Traditionally this is milk for the morning tea brought to us by the local dairy, and a newspaper, hot off the press delivered through our own Hendred stores. The milkman (who may now also deliver a whole range of groceries and dairy products, not just milk) will deliver to your doorstep before 7 a.m. and there are at least three dairies providing this service including Buckley's dairy, Mount Pleasant Dairy and Unigate. The Hendred store can deliver other groceries along with your morning newspaper. The shop has a long working day, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. so that shopping before and after work is possible. On Saturday the shop closes at 5.30 and on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The average working day for most people starts between 8 and 9 a.m. and finishes between 5 and 6 p.m., although those commuting to towns and cities may make a much earlier start, and not reach home in the evening until 8 p.m. or even later. Travelling to and from work may take just a few minutes for those working from home, at businesses based in the village, or at nearby Harwell etc. Conversely the journey to work may take up to several hours, for example for people working in the capital city of London. Many people from Hendred work in neighbouring local towns e.g. Wantage, Abingdon and Didcot. These people may take their car or choose to ride on the local bus service provided by Stagecoach. Some will also take the train from Didcot north to Oxford, west to Swindon or Bristol, or east to Reading, Slough, Maidenhead and London.

An increasing number of people work from home in order to avoid the burden of travel or because they are involved in freelance businesses such as crafts, engineering, consultancy etc. A dwindling number of Hendred people work in traditional rural employment although the Hendred Estate and the two vineyards in the village continue to thrive. Some people work from home part or full-time as “teleworkers”, a recent trend made possible through the sudden growth of mobile telecommunications and personal computers.

Overview
The working day
The school day
Transport and Travel
Leisure Time
Regular weekly events in the village
Other regular events held at least once a month