Sibford Scene Archive

Sibford Scene 408 December 2018

Click on the cover image to download the complete edition

A winter scene

John's headstone

Headstone in graveyardVisitors to the churchyard may have noticed a new headstone. It replaces the overgrown patch marked only by a rusty hurricane lamp on a stake. In 2003, a traveller called John had been living in a tin shed below the Elm Crossroads in the Ferris. After spending a bitter winter in this makeshift home, and through the generosity of passers-by who would take food or some warm clothing, John had become a well-known local figure, and people would often stop at his shack for a chat.

Sadly, one morning in April, he was found to have succumbed to the privations of living in a tiny tin shed with no door, and he had died during the night. Those who had supported him raised the money to pay for his burial in the churchyard, and I carved a wooden headstone to mark the final resting place of ‘ John – a gentleman of the road.

The following ten years took their toll on the hastily sourced and unseasoned oak of the headstone, and so this year I carved a new one out of a lovely old piece of re-cycled teak, and installed it at the beginning of November. John came to us with nothing, and I am pleased that, through the kindness of strangers, he has found his place in God’s Acre.

Michael Spring

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.