Sibford Scene Archive

Sibford Scene 166 May 1993

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An old skill revived in Sibford

CoracleBill Crabtree, the Reserve Manager of Harry Williams’ /  Lamb’s Pool suggested to Bloxham WATCH Group Conservation Volunteers that it might be fun to build a coracle. We warmed to the challenge .

Bill collected ash, hazel and goat willow. We fashioned nine 9ft and ten 7ft laths by splitting ash using the metal bars in Bill’s pigsty and a cleaving break. We had to look sharp because the pigs were in residence and delighted in gnawing the ends of the poles.

The flimsy basketwork frame was pegged to the barn floor. We poured boiling water on the laths to make them pliable and bent the ends upwards to form the sides. The board seat was fitted to the sides. All loose ends and the seat was secured by a twisted gunwale of ash, willow and hazel. After trimming, the framework was covered with calico and given several coats of bitumastic paint. The craft was successfully launched and to our surprise was stable, with little draught and easily manoeuvrable with the single paddle. No champagne was available but we were rewarded with a glass of Bill’s elderberry wine.

The Firs Garage

The Firs Garage was founded in 1960, when Jack Wood and his wife Betty had the first petrol pumps installed. Prior to that, they were agricultural contractors and farmers. (The farming side is still in progress today.) Gradually the car repair business took off, together with the sale of used vehicles.

By 1967 the garage had expanded enough to take on the Fiat franchise, which ran very successfully until 1985.

In 1978 The Firs became one of the first garages in the country to hold a Daihatsu car & four-wheel drive franchise, which continues to the present day.

Three sons and a daughter have all joined this family-owned business, which includes a team of employees who have all been with the garage for many years.

The Firs offers a friendly service, whose scope rivals that of many ‘big city’ garages and includes new & used car sales, servicing of most makes, accident repairs, MOT tests, a spare parts department, car wash, fuel sales and forecourt shop. Why not go along and give them a ‘test run’.

Above, you may see one or two items of historical interest from this edition. To see the whole edition, click on the front-page image to download it as a pdf.