Sibford Scene Archive

Sibford Scene 305 July 2008

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The next edition was given the same sequence number, presumably in error.

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Eric Payne

Eric Payne was Sibford! He was born in this small Oxfordshire village and lived here throughout his life. Having attended the village school and worked as a farm hand all his working life, he retained just a few sheep to keep him out of mischief! He was a familiar figure and was often seen with his crook and his beloved sheep dog at his heels, walking through the village stopping and talking to everyone he met. His duties and loyal service as Churchwarden for almost 40 years meant that he knew all the village families and was known and loved by everyone, old and young alike.

He was Scoutmaster to the village Troop from 1943 to 1946, with his wife Mabel, ran the village post office and loyally served on the Parish Council, many years as Chairman. He was one of the kindest, caring, Christian men you could have the privilege to meet. His genuine understanding of people and of rural village life gave him a depth of wisdom that benefited all those who worked with him. He had a wealth of stories, which he was happy to share at any time. He was loved and respected by all those who knew him — village life was enriched with Eric at its heart. He will be sorely missed by us all.

Eric Payne

A dog looking at the cameraTo write a eulogy to my father probably is unnecessary, as many of you will have known more about him and his accomplishments than I will ever know. He loved his village, its history and especially its people. ‘Home is where the heart is’ and this was definitely how Eric felt. He never wanted to be anywhere else! Now Eric has returned home to be laid to rest with his beloved wife Mabel, near to where there lives both began some 90 years ago.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for his or her companionship, care support and affection to Eric, something he cherished, and for your kind words of sympathy at his passing. He will be greatly missed.

Ruby Lawrence

Granddad

by Jennie Lawrence (aged 8)

He’s tall and plump with body bent
Sad eyes of pale blue,
Grey hair grows on a balding head,
A nose plonked just below.
His smile shows off his ancient teeth
With wrinkles furrowed deep.
His rough hands show the years of work
While country accent still he’ll keep.

Down long lanes he travels
Bow legged and pigeon toed.
His dog a good companion
As round the fields he roamed.
Then walking through the village
Up the hills and down
Meeting with the locals
Who’ve moved down from the town?

He’s good and very thoughtful
To people round about
He collects and delivers pensions
And I know you’ll never doubt
His kindness and his friendship,
But most of all you see
He is my dear old Granddad
And that’s good enough for me!

Lieutenant Colonel Colin Frith OBE

Colin and Tina Frith lived in Burdrop from 1972 until they moved to Somerset in 2000 where Colin died on 30th April 2008.

Colin Frith was born in Plymouth in July 1926 into an army family, for both his father and grandfather served in the Somerset Light Infantry. He spent much of his early life in the care of his grandparents at Uphill Manor near Weston-super-Mare while his father, accompanied by his mother, served with his regiment in India. After attending Marlborough College, Colin immediately joined the army and after carrying out his training in Bangalore, was commissioned into his father’s regiment when he was posted as a sniping instructor at the School of Infantry in Hythe, Kent. Here at a party given by Anne Stephens, at that time a senior WAAF officer and later to become Dame Anne as head of the WRAP, he met Dame Anne’s niece Tina Phillips and they were married in 1951.

Colin saw active service in Malaya where he was mentioned in dispatches and after attending the Staff College in 1957 was appointed as Brigade Major in Northern Ireland. In 1961 he was posted as Company Commander with the newly amalgamated Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry in Osnabrook in Germany. After serving in Gibraltar and Tobruk and with more staff training in the UK he was appointed successively to Military Operations branch at the War Office, as an instructor at Sandhurst and as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion. This included winter warfare training in Canada and Norway and was followed, after more regimental amalgamations, by a posting to Ballykinlar in Northern Ireland at the outbreak of “The Troubles” and he was soon patrolling the streets of Belfast. At the end of this tour of duty he was posted to the War Office when he was appointed OBE and after two years, decided to retire from the army, thus ending 97 years of continuous service by three generations of Frith, his father being Brigadier Sir Eric Frith.

Colin accepted appointment as Bursar at Magdalen College School in Oxford when he and Tina with their family, Sue, Anne, and Mark moved to Barn Close in Burdrop. He served as bursar for 14 years and on retirement from this, threw himself, with Tina, into village and charitable activities. At different times he was Chairman of the Village Hall Committee, Clerk to the Parish Council, Treasurer of Holy Trinity Church, Treasurer of the newly formed Wykeham Benefice, a founding committee member and volunteer at the Fielding Day Centre, a founder member and tenor in the Benefice Choir. In most of the local activities Colin and Tina were to be found taking a leading part. He also acted as a visitor for the Soldiers, Sailors and Air Force Association (SSAFA) for 25 years.

Colin will be remembered by many in Sibford for his willingness to help wherever he could with humour, adaptability and resourcefulness, attributes described by his headmaster at Magdalen College School and which never left him. In the army he distinguished himself with his efficiency and military expertise and these followed him into civilian life. He spent much time and energy helping Tina’s mother, Susannah Phillips and her aunt, Dame Anne Stephens, both of whom lived in the village and his aunt Marjorie at Uphill Manor for many years up to and her estate after her death. He rarely missed finishing the Daily Telegraph crossword puzzle and as a young man excelled in cricket as a wicket-keeper and batsman, playing whenever possible for his regiment, also at rugby for, amongst others, the Ashford Rugby Football Club when in Kent. He had an outstanding command of the English language, writing and speaking impeccably with a speedy answer to everything and much enjoying a pun. He was rarely faulted with quotations from Shakespeare, Gilbert and Sullivan and Flanders and Swann. He, Tina and the family have been greatly missed since they left the village but will always be lovingly remembered by their many friends.

They have expressed great gratitude and wish to give their thanks to all those in the village who have sent messages of sympathy and support.

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.