News

For the first time in their separate histories, the councils of the two Sibford parishes, Ferris and Gower came together last Thursday (9th) to host the Annual Parish Meeting as a shared celebration of our extra-ordinary vibrant community. And what a celebration it was! Over 50 people representing dozens of organisations, clubs, societies and other village institutions, and more like 150 people overall in one glorious upsurge of shared interest, mutual curiosity and animated conversations! As one of these wrote to me afterwards, “it was a wonderfully convivial meeting, showcasing the best of what the Sibfords is all about”.

I am writing on behalf of both Councils – of Ginny Bennett and John Wass for the Ferris, and myself – to express our sincere thanks to all the many people who contributed to making this such a success. As Ginny herself put it to me in a note afterwards: “So many people helped on the night – real community spirit!”

I was particularly grateful to the pupils from both Sibford schools who came to play and sing for us, and their music teachers, Fiona Hudson and Valerie Vet. Having the children there for me was a key part of the whole evening. Along with all the other children who came with their families, they are the community’s future, and I was delighted these young musicians could remind us of this so very beautifully!

Hugh Pidgeon
Chair, Sibford Gower Parish Council

There has been an excellent response to our advertisement (copied below) in last month’s Scene with 28 volunteers so far. It is taking them a little time to check their motor insurance policies and only 13 have so far cleared this so we will have to wait a bit more before we can get started. We hope the July Scene will be able to contain the first pair of weekly names who will receive requests for lifts and find suitable drivers for them. In the meantime we would appreciate just a few more volunteers to get our numbers over 30. Thank you all for your support so far.

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Those of us in the Sibfords who have a car and are still able to drive far outnumber those who do not. Most of the latter can no longer bicycle and many even find walking difficult or impossible.

It occurs to us that the former could help the latter in a more organised way for though many lifts are given and gratefully accepted, many people have little or no help in this way.

It also occurs to us that a large group of drivers might be on hand to give the occasional but organised lift in a ten mile radius which would be as far as Banbury, Hook Norton, Chipping Norton, Shipston on Stour but no further. Many people living in the Gower would appreciate a lift to the shop and escape that dreadful hill, many in the Ferris would appreciate a lift to the Surgery, Village Hall, Church or Meeting House. Villagers from both could appreciate maybe just a short outing for tea or coffee.

A small mileage allowance for the drivers to charge voluntarily is anticipated.

We would like to build a list of those who could be approached for a lift and those who would, perhaps for a week at a time, consent to receive telephone calls to arrange a driver.

Would you please in the first instance let us know your names, telephone numbers and if available, email addresses and if there are enough volunteers we will get the ball in motion. Further details will be sent to those who express an interest in the scheme

Contact Mary & Norman Nash on 780 980 or nnash@waitrose.com

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Welcome to a new look for The Sibfords website, more suited to viewing on phones and tablets as well as on laptop and desktop computers.

If you have any views on the new look, or suggestions for improvement, please let me know.

Tim Huckvale
Webmaster

There are several Oxfordshire Artweeks venues in and around the Sibfords this year, Sat 18 – Mon 27 May, featuring works by Ginny Bennett, Nigel Fletcher, Ronny Loxton and many others. Check the links for locations, opening dates and times (Nigel’s exhibition is open from 12 May).

17 May: We watched as a new swift flew up to each of the nestboxes in turn and called into them, finally taking up residence in #2 – the first time this box has been used.

12 May: A small screaming party of four swifts entertained us outside this evening. The pair in #4 have been happily cuddling up together every night. And there’s a single bird in #3 again tonight; is it the same one who left 5 days ago, or is it their partner finally returned?

7 May: Our first breeding pair today returned to #4, where they successfully raised chicks last year and the year before. Unfortunately, after 4 nights alone in #3, the first bird of this season seems to have given up waiting for their partner.

3 May: The swifts are back! Well, one is, anyway. This must be one of the prospecting pair that took a shine to nestbox #3 last summer. Let’s hope that their partner makes it back as well before too long.

The nesting boxes are in Sibford Ferris. Revisit this page to keep an eye on progress.

Tim Huckvale

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The Conservative candidate, Douglas Webb, was re-elected on 2 May as District Councillor for the Cropredy, Sibfords and Wroxton ward, with 1503 votes. The LibDem candidate Julian Ward polled 653 votes, the Labour candidate Anne Cullen 398. Turnout was 41%. See the CDC website for full details. Douglas Webb’s term of office is for 4 years.

The other two councillors for our ward are George Reynolds, whose term of office expires in May 2020 and Phil Chapman (May 2022).

The Town Estate Charity Sibford Gower and Burdrop (Registered Charity No 253440) has a remit to use surplus funds for three purposes:

• the general benefit of the parish,
• to help the primary school
• to “relieve either generally or individually persons in conditions of need, hardship or distress” (relief-in-need).

The Charity would welcome applications for grants from residents of Sibford Gower and Burdrop, particularly for the relief-in-need category. Please contact the secretary, Peter Morgan (petermorgan2@hotmail.co.uk) or one of the trustees.

An opportunity to join the Sibford Gower Parish Council!

You may have seen from the formal notification posted on this website and on the Council’s notice board that Trina Crilley and Tony Skowronski have needed to step down from their role as members of the Gower Council.  We are enormously grateful to both of them for the time and the energy they contributed while they were with us. 

But due process having been followed, we are now free to co-opt two new councillors to join the team. As relatively new councillors ourselves, we are thoroughly enjoying the whole experience. Much of the work that was needed when we first joined has been done, and we would very much like to speak with anyone who might be interested in joining us. 

If you are a resident of the Gower and are interested – or would simply like to know more about what that would involve – could you let our clerk Vanessa Mulley know, and she’ll put you in touch with us:

Vanessa Mulley

sibford.gower.pc@thesibfords.org.uk

(Please see the attached Application Form which gives full details of the legal criteria for becoming a Parish Councillor)

Hugh Pidgeon

David Allen

Roger Mallows