Sibford Scene Archive

Those of us who have enjoyed the opportunity to meet with others on a Thursday afternoon would like to thank Ginny and her helpers who prepared the small Village Hall, baked cakes and provided tea for those who came along to chat, play table games, learn new ones, continue with their knitting or tackle a challenging jigsaw puzzle. Further thanks are extended to the Town Estate Charity who supported this scheme during the winter months. At our last gathering we enjoyed a glass of bubbles to celebrate the fact that we had made it through the winter once again – hope to see you again next year!

It was delightful to see so many people interested in swifts at my Horti talk on 10th April. Several folk have since asked me about putting up nest boxes for them. By the time you read this some swifts may already have returned from Africa to breed here in nesting places that they have used before or discovered last year. But it’s not too late to put up boxes or install bricks for the prospecting swifts that are looking for new nesting sites to breed in next year; young swifts will be “knocking” on boxes to check them out until at least the end of June. You’ll need to play swift calls to help them find new boxes; the best times to do this are early in the morning and in the evening. Please email me at swifts@thesibfords.uk if you have any queries about boxes, calls, or indeed anything swiftian and I’ll do my best to help. As in previous years, I’ll be logging and illustrating the progress of my small colony on the village website at thesibfords.uk/swifts, where you will also find links to other sources of swift information.

Tim Huckvale

This month we take a look at the three North facing windows on the left of the chancel – on your left as you stand in the nave looking at the altar. Each of the stained-glass windows features aspects of the Holy Communion. The central window depicts Jesus at a table sharing the Last Supper with his disciples in the Upper Room prior to his crucifixion. Below the image is an inscription which reads: “Take, eat, this is my body.”

The window to the right depicts Moses distributing ‘Manna’ which God had provided to feed Moses and the Israelites while they were in exile. The text reads: “Moses gave you the manna but I am the true bread” suggesting that it is the Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. The use of the present tense suggests that it is Jesus who is the ‘true bread’.

At the base of this light is a memorial inscription which reads: “To the honour of the Holy Trinity and for a memorial. 13 Years pastoral work. W S Miller.” William Sanderson Miller was vicar at Holy Trinity, Sibford from 1848 to 1860.

The window to the left depicts Abraham preparing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, prefiguring the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s Son, on the Cross. The text reads: “Abraham took the knife to his son.” Having prepared the altar with wood to burn the offered sacrifice, Jacob laid Isaac on the altar and took his knife to slaughter his beloved son. God, seeing Abraham’s willingness to obey Him and sacrifice his only son, instructed him to sacrifice the lamb that was caught in a thicket nearby instead of Isaac. Because you have obeyed my voice God said “your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed”. Thus, Abraham became The Father of the Jewish nation.

At the base of the light is a memorial inscription which reads; “To the memory of Rev Richard Eliot. A student of Christ Church Oxford, died 14 May 1862″. It is thought that Richard Eliot was the younger brother of Rev Edward Eliot who was the incumbent at Holy Trinity, Sibford from 1860 to 1864. Edward also studied at Oxford and was a student at New College. Richard died while Edward was vicar at Sibford.

Maureen Hicks