Sulgrave’s 14th Century parish church, dedicated to St James the Less, has a beautiful, late Victorian pipe organ, built by the renowned organ builder JJ Binns of Leeds in 1892 – now considered his best period.

Sadly, this magnificent instrument has been silent since 2006. A Committee has now been formed, dedicated to the restoration of the organ

The project is not only about restoring the organ: A scholarship scheme has been planned to enable enthusiasts to learn how to play this magnificent instrument; a fund will be set up to pay an organist for our regular church services, and to maintain the organ – thus ensuring that future generations will continue to enjoy organ music in our lovely church.

• Stage one was to approach several reputable organ restorers to get an estimate of the cost of restoration work.
• Stage two is currently in progress – the fund-raising! This is both for the restoration work itself and to secure its future. We cannot start any work until we are sure we have sufficient funds – and all donations will be extremely welcome!
• Stage three will be when the restoration work commences and the organ is completely dismantled! It is estimated that from this time the work will take about 6 (exciting) weeks.
• Stage four is once the organ is fully restored and on show in all its remarkable glory – to enhance our regular worship, to hold regular musical events in the church and to offer a teaching scholarship.

If you have any questions about this project, wish to discuss a donation or a fund-raising project, please email any member of the committee

Andrew Dixon 01295 768657  

Libbie Foster 01295 768343  

Joanna Smyth-Osbourne 01295 760261  

Terry Taylor 01295 768484  

Click here to keep in touch with the progress of the restoration project.

At least 30 people braved a rather chilly damp night to come and hear Chris talk on his adventure into publishing and all the fun he has had; the people he has met, scenes set and photographs taken. A simple supper, wine and a raffle ensured that the total amount raised was just over £270. Chris’s two books were on sale and he very generously donated all the profit to the churchyard fund.

Many thanks for all your support to help make a successful and enjoyable evening.

Ingram and Shrimp

More pictures supplied by Chris on the next page.

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Helmdon Viaduct/Peter’s Bridge Painting by Chris Behan

Until I was well into my twenties, the sounds and smells of steam locomotives hauling passenger and freight trains on the former Great Central Railway over the embankment to the east of the village were regular occurrences; so regular, in fact, that no-one paid any heed to them. The distinctive sound of these engines is so ingrained in my consciousness that even now, when following the bridleway to Weston on foot, I have a nagging feeling that something is missing and then I remember what it is!

Visitors to the website will recall an article by villager Chris Behan a couple of months ago featuring the “South Yorkshireman Express” which regularly used this line between Bradford and London. Chris is currently doing some research on the 17 (sic) railway stations which were once within easy reach of Sulgrave with a view to a further article. In the course of this work he chanced upon a film made in the early 1960s depicting the Great Central Railway in its twilight years.

Click here to see (and hear!) this film.

The local landscape through which the train passes will be familiar to all villagers, especially the still existing landmarks of Peter’s Bridge and the Helmdon Viaduct. I am very grateful to Chris for submitting this little production, which is particularly nostalgic to me since, every Saturday during my early teens, I walked to Helmdon to get the train to the Brackley “top station” shown in the film and from there walked to school in the centre of the town.

Colin Wootton

On Friday evening 26th February, villagers gathered at the Church Hall to participate in a “Murder Mystery Evening” organised by the Sulgrave Women’s Activity Group (SWAG). The audience learned of the tragic death of the Duke of Felthorpe. A number of volunteers, some more willing than others, took the parts of the Duke’s son and heir, daughter, daughter-in-law, lawyer, butler, chef, nurse, and maid. These characters had assembled for the “Reading of the Will”. As the evening progressed, accusations and counter-accusations indicated that the Duke’s death was more than a little suspicious and the behaviour of his relatives and servants was revealed as positively outrageous. Ultimately the introduction of an additional character, that of a police inspector, became necessary. A lengthy and enjoyable pause for a fish and chip supper enabled the audience to, as it were, consider its verdict as to the guilty parties. Finally, the police inspector presented his report and the handful of participants who had correctly identified the culprit(s) were suitably rewarded with Sulgrave Village Shop vouchers. Many thanks are due to the SWAG ladies who worked so hard to bring the evening about.

Pictures on next page.

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Ursula Robbins of The Wool House, Little Street, celebrated her 90th birthday on February 18th. Ursula is a familiar daily sight to all villagers, making her numerous circuits of the village with her faithful trolley, pausing occasionally for a rest and cup of coffee at the Village Shop. Ursula’s late husband David was warden at Sulgrave Manor until his retirement in 1988. Many friends joined Ursula at the Wool House on Sunday afternoon for tea and a slice of the special birthday cake!

Pictures on the next page.

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Remembrance Day Poppy Display at Syresham in November 2014. One poppy for each of the fallen.

Peter and Ann Mackness became members of Syresham History Society in 2009 and commend its programme of talks and visits to other villagers. Their decision to become full members was based on Syresham’s convenient location, the programme quality and the friendships formed.

See here for the 2016 programme.

Anyone interested in learning more can contact Judith Shaw at [email protected]

See also Syresham Village Website.

Photograph courtesy Christopher Henn

It’s 2.03 pm on a beautiful, sunny, late summer day, the 25th August 1952 and an express train races across Sulgrave embankment. The photographer, standing at the end of Little Street, peers through the viewfinder and presses the button on his camera. Click, the above photograph is taken.

Once upon a time, this would have been the limit of our knowledge about the photograph, but the age of information technology has changed all that.

The 1952 timetable shows that the train was the “South Yorkshireman” which had left Bradford, hardly in South Yorkshire, at 10 am bound for London Marylebone, via Huddersfield, Sheffield, Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicester, Rugby and Aylesbury.

A framed copy of the photograph was kindly loaned by Christopher Henn. Research into the photograph by Sulgrave villager  and author Chris Behan is set out above and continues on the next page.

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