Sibford Scene Archive

May is the time of year when flowers bloom, birds sing and Sibford Ferris Parish Council update you on all the things we have done for you over the past year! One year ago we celebrated the coronation of King Charles with a street party which was funded in part by the Council and organised by it with a wonderful team of local volunteers. It was a great success and a sunny day that we will all remember for a long time.

The Elm crossroads became a local black spot with accidents occurring regularly. Greatly concerned by this we chased OCC to supply 4 new larger signs which are now installed and road lines repainted. We continue to get litter and fly tipping removed from the area too.

We have communicated with CDC and our local District Councillor and politicians regarding planning matters and have done our best to voice the concerns of the community over speculative development. We are saddened that once again the decision of one inspector can over turn the strong and well founded objections from Cherwell District Council, SFPC and the whole community.

We have continued to press for the re-categorisation of our village in order to try to prevent further expansion of the village boundaries with more development with even more traffic.

Over the summer we plan to get a new play park installed in Cotswold close and have been working to get quotes that fit with our budget. We also secured £12,000 in funding for this.

I have met with the new headmistress of Sibford school, Rebecca Evans, who has expressed her desire to maintain good relations between the village and the school.

Defibrillator training continues free of charge and co ordinated by one of our Council members.

We carefully manage the Council finances and assets and actively work to protect the conservation area. Also in a bid to slow the traffic we have applied for 20 mph signs.

These are just a-few of the many areas that our small Parish Council cover and I would like to express my gratitude to Councillors Andrew Meyler, John Wass, Ginny Bennett and Michael Gordon for all their voluntary work on the Sibford Ferris Parish Council and to our wonderful clerk Kirsty and the community for supporting us.

Katherine Roussel (Chair)

Returning to the stained-glass windows in Holy Trinity Church we take a closer look at the three south facing stained glass panels on the right of the chancel. They are all about Baptism.

The central panel in the south window features Jesus’ own Baptism by John the Baptist in the River Jordan and the text reads: “This is My Beloved Son” confirming that Jesus was indeed the Son of God – the long-awaited Messiah.

At the base of this window is a memorial inscription dedicated to members of the multigenerational Pettipher family who were farmers in Sibford Ferris and served the village community in many different ways.

The window to the right of the central panel depicts Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night and Jesus explaining to him that you have to be born again, spiritually not physically, so making it clear that baptism is a new birth. The text reads: “Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”

The images in the window on the left-hand side are less certain but are thought to represent Abraham being visited by three strangers, three men, while he was out in the countryside. A further reference possibly to the three ‘persons’ of the Holy Trinity. The inscription reads: “Three men stood by thee.”

Maureen Hicks

Sibford Friendship Club was started in the 1970s – 1980s and was run by a Mrs Flynn. She lived in the Ferris. The club met, as now, on the 1st or 3rd Tuesday in the month Its aim was to bring together all the villagers who were over 60. Specifically:

1. To develop a sense of communal responsibility: To provide help in case of sickness or hospitalisation by providing transport to visit, help with shopping etc. The club also advises on subjects such as action in retirement, finance and budgeting and disabled assistance. So offering comfort and support in any way needed and financial assistance if necessary.
2. To organise talks, entertainment and events as required by the majority of members.
3. To raise money for the efficient running of the Club.

They met in the village hall, but it seems the hall was cold, so for a while they met in LISTER common room at the Sibford Friends School. Sometime during 1984-1985 they came back to the village hall.

There was a connection with Age Concern but due to a “dispute” the club went on alone, with an elected committee to run it. This continues today. Nowadays members come from all over Banbury, Epwell, Brailes and Tysoe. Anyone over 50 can join the club.

Evie Boughton