Photo: John Sheppard
Les Clark, a Sulgrave resident for over twenty years before leaving in the 1990s, flew into Hinton-in-the-Hedges to have lunch with old friends and former villagers Martin Sirot-Smith and John Sheppard. Les’ retirement ambitions had been to gain his pilot’s licence and to build his own aeroplane and this event was a demonstration of his success in both ventures.
On Saturday 30th April, beautifully sunny spring weather blessed the wedding of Angharad Lloyd and Russell Downing at the Church of St James the Less, Sulgrave.
The Star Inn has a team of Aunt Sally players who compete in a local league with teams from other pubs in the Oxfordshire area. There are eight members in a team and the Star Inn team are seeking to build up a squad to enable a rotation of players on a regular basis. No qualifications or previous experience necessary! These are enjoyable midweek summer evening events to which all are welcome. Refreshments are provided. If you are interested in having a go, just let Will or Mandy know at the Star.
See here for photos of an evening Aunt Sally match at the Star.
The village learned with great sadness of the death of John Down, for more than twenty years our community postman.
It was a fitting tribute to John and his family that so many people gathered at St. Mary’s Church, Banbury on a lovely day on April 13th to pay their respects to a well loved man.
Sulgrave was well represented and I am sure the family will take comfort from everyone’s support.
The coffin was carried by John’s sons John and Paul and colleagues.
John served Sulgrave very well for many years and as we all know, if waiting for him to call! always went an extra mile to help anyone, always had time for a friendly word. Postman, yes, but also a friend and confident……you name it, he was it.
He was also a wonderful family man which was obvious at the funeral and they did him proud.
He led a very full life and was very well respected in many circles.
We send our sincere condolences to Pat his wife, John, Paul and all the family.
There was a collection after the service in memory of John for the Katherine House Hospice and anyone who could not attend can still donate if they wish to, c/o J & M Humphris, Albert Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5DG
SISKIN (Carduelis spinus)
The siskin is the smallest of our native British finches, roughly comparable in size to the blue tit. The plumage is predominantly greenish-yellow, with a yellow stripe on the dark wing. The lower flanks are streaked. The male bird has a black crown and yellow “eyebrows”, breast and rump.
The siskin is essentially a bird of coniferous or mixed woodland, mainly in northern or western parts of Britain, although it has bred in some sites in the south. Like all finches, it is a seed-eater, feeding largely on tree-seeds, especially those of the birch or alder. In winter, it tends to migrate southwards. It is gregarious and is often seen in mixed flocks with redpolls. In recent years, it has increased in numbers, largely because it has discovered the food put out in gardens for other birds. In this area, it seems to be mainly from mid-winter onwards that it can be seen swinging acrobatically, sometimes upside down, from the nut-feeders. It has also taken a fancy to nyjer seed put out for the goldfinches.
Its pretty twittering song led in the past to its trapping, to spend the rest of its life in a cage. Fortunately, this undesirable custom is now illegal.
Text by George Metcalfe
Picture by John Sheppard.
From Jane Osborne:
Of course, living in quintessential England, we awoke on our organised day to find it was raining!!! Frantic telephone calls between committee members commenced with the cry of “shall we go ahead?” Eventually at 9.30 am, having trawled the internet for weather forecasts, we decided to put our faith in the promise of “fine by lunch”.
However, at the agreed starting time, ready for the Health and Safety briefing, there was still just us! So we decided we were clothed for the showers, ready for the work and forged ahead ourselves. Like the nursery rhyme “Incy Wincy Spider”, the rain stopped, the people came out in force and day one began.
The beacon at Lower Thorpe Mandeville was one of about 30 such bonfires lighting up the countryside along the proposed route of the High Speed Rail Link between London and the West Midlands, in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire. Read more about the beacons on the STOPHS2 website.
WAXWING (Bombycilla garrulous)
The surely is one of the most handsome of birds. The size of a starling and mainly of a colour variously described as “vinaceous brown”, “cinnamon-grey” or “reddish buff”, it is easily distinguished by its prominent crest, black eye-mark and bib, yellow tipped tail and yellow edged wing feathers. On some of the secondary wing-feathers there are waxy red ‘blobs’, which give the bird its popular name.
Tudor Kitchen demonstration at Sulgrave Manor
Sulgrave Manor is very proud to be one of only twenty museums chosen from the national entries to be taken forward to the next stage of the Guardian’s Family Friendly Museum Award. This is the biggest family friendly award in Britain and the only one judged by families.
Photograph: Jacqueline Fletcher
On several occasions in the past ten or fifteen years albino squirrels have been seen in the village. This one was photographed recently by Jacqueline Fletcher at Kiln Farm.