Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

William Haines, the peripatetic barber of the parish, came in whilst I was talking to Joe Messenger and his wife. Haines said that a Shenington man who came here to the Primrose League Meeting asked him “as he allers does when he sees ma’, whether I’d got any squitch i’ my ‘lotment, as your gentleman at Sibbard, when he preached the Club sermon at Shenington 15 years ago, said as us ought’n’t to have”.

“What gentleman did he mean, Barber?”

“He meant you, sir.”           

“Well, I should think he must be mistaken if he thinks (as Barber seemed to imply) that I remarked on the Shenington men cultivating their allotments badly, because I don’t know anything about them. I know some Sibford men are fond of squitch and we now have 2 acres of Charity land at the heath which we cannot let because it is in such a foul condition and we have had almost the same state of things at Sibford Gower. And yet some of the worst farmers among the labourers are crying out for more land.”

“Let ‘em do what they have got is what I says,” replied the Barber.

Received telegram from Harry “Passed the Final Exam today with honours.”

Bell and I were as pleased as Frank to find his name in the list given in the Banbury Advertiser of those pupils of the Banbury School of Art who were successful at the exams last May. He is in the 1st class for “Drawing from the Cast”. This is encouraging.

Bell, Frank, and Harry went to Banbury where the latter played in a lawn tennis match, a game to which he gives all his time.

Frank has been very interested and very busy during the past few days in painting in oils metal match boxes for the Swalcliffe Bazaar (for new organ) tomorrow.

Rosa went down to the Swalcliffe Bazaar in Miss Dix’s pony carriage. Frank, Bell and myself walked down. At Swalcliffe Frank performed with Miss Enock a recitation in the large coach-house, called “The Geese,” to a “crowded house”. He also took 7/- or 8/- as the “Fortune-teller”.

Mr Woolgrove told me that Mr Looker, of Bloxham, a Civil Engineer to the Banbury and Cheltenham direct Railway, had more than once asked to get my permission for him, Mr Looker, to bore for coal on the Race ground at Sibford Heath.. He said he would be seeing him again this week. I asked him to request Mr L. to write me such a letter as I could lay before the Trustees. Mr Looker thinks there is coal there in sufficient quantity to pay for the working.