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You can either print off the above image or cut out the order form from the December edition of the Village Newsletter.

Castle Green at noon on Armistice Day 2024

At 10.30 am on Monday 11th November 2014, villagers and visitors gathered on Castle Green especially to remember those of Sulgrave who lost their lives in two world wars and also to recall the countless casualties of all nationalities in those wars and subsequent conflicts.

In the absence of an outdoor memorial, the now familiar silhouette of a Great War soldier once more served as a focus for the ceremony and at whose feet the traditional wreaths of poppies were laid.

As the sounds of the nearby church clock striking eleven died away the traditional words of remembrance were spoken and the  Last Post sounded. The flag of the Royal British Legion was lowered in tribute by a member of the local branch. During the two minutes silence which followed the only sound to be heard was of a small plane flying slowly overhead, which seemed somehow appropriate to people of my generation.

Finally, the moving poem “Flanders’ Fields” was read out by the Chair of the Parish Council.

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Milk churns were once collected daily by lorry

Richard Fonge writes:

Following a very wet September, we are now as I write into a sodden October. Late September, October is the time for planting winter corn and obviously little has been done due to the wet, and with the prospect of drier weather poor, we could have a serious situation on our hands.

Therefore with little happening round the parish, I thought I would re print an article written for the Oxford Times by my mother in the 1980s, of social history.

Mother graduated from Reading University in 1930 and went to work for Miss Beatrix Havergal at Pusey near Faringdon, before they moved to Waterperry in 1932. It was here at this school of horticulture that many renowned gardeners were trained and taught. Waterperry gardens are well visited today and one of Mother’s proudest achievements was to establish the herbaceous border, still a major feature. After her marriage to my father in 1937 they moved to near Woodstock, before moving again in 1947 to Stuchbury Manor Farm with their family.

ARTICLE WRITTEN FOR THE OXFORD TIMES BY MRS PEGGY FONGE

This is the second excerpt from the social history of Waterperry, written by Mrs Peggy Fonge and based on her husbands reminiscences. We hear how the morning milk reached the station, despite the unusual hazards that sometimes frightened the horses.

I drove daily to the station in the heat of summer, in rain and snow and freezing winds. In very frosty weather I had to take the nails out of the horses shoes and put in studs.

Talking of special footwear, it is difficult to think that there was once a world without gum boots. We had a man working for us called Ernest Hill, and one day he came back from Oxford with the first pair of wellington boots seen in the district.

The popular song at the time was “Felix keeps on walking, keeps on walking still”. and after that day, Ernest Hill was known as Felix and one always spoke of Felix Hill.

A curious thing happened one winters’ morning when I was taking the milk to Wheatley station, for as I left Ledall and was going towards the crossroads between the trees, Tom, a shy, nervous horse, backed in the shafts and snorted and refused to go on.

It was dark of course, but by the light of the carriage lamps the road, as far as I could see was clear. But no amount of coaxing would make Tom go on, so I went through a gateway into the field on my right, coming out into the lane again some distance on, and so I proceeded to Wheatley with the milk.

When I got there I was chaffed by other men bringing their milk for not getting up early enough in the morning, for they had obviously thought I had pushed Tom along too hard for he was quivering and all of a lather.

I told them how he had refused to go along the Common Lane.

Then on my return from the station, I discovered what it had been. There were people coming up to the crossroads and more coming down from the village, for there, on the other side of the big chestnut trees bordering the road, a huge balloon had come down. It wasn’t in our path for Tom to see, but he had either seen it through the trees or sensed that it was there.

I was not to have this daily journey for much longer, for in 1927 our milk was collected by lorry for the first time.

In the early 1920s a West Countryman called Eli George Burton had come to Oxford and set up a dairyman’s business in Stevens Road, Headington, which was then still separate from Oxford. He also had stables in Stevens Road adjoining the dairy for the ponies that drew his milk delivery floats.

George Burton was the first man to collect our milk by lorry from Park Farm for his dairy in Headington, and the lorry was a smart new Manchester, a make now defunct.

Rather faded newspaper photograph of “the smart new Manchester”.

Richard Fonge

The new library occupies a reserved corner at the rear of the Church.

The newly established Library in the Village Church will be open to all from Saturday 19th October 2024. All of the books and games have been freely donated and may be borrowed or purchased at a modest price. A great deal of work has gone into the creation of this unique village facility and all those involved were sincerely thanked on behalf of the village at the recent Parish Council meeting by the Chair, Councillor Richard Fonge.

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Photograph by Tony Keatley.

Note from Colin Wootton:

During my time as editor of the Village Website I have photographed and reported upon many Vintage Ploughing Matches taking place in the village. (Links to some of these can be seen at the end of this item). Unfortunately family commitments precluded me from attending the recent event and I am therefore grateful to Tony Keatley for the excellent photographs on the following page.

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Pre-publication copies of the reprinted Chronicles can be obtained at the special price of £15.00 – a 25% saving on the normal price of £20.

See the October 2024 edition of the Sulgrave Newsletter for a detachable order form or download the form for printing  by clicking here.

Despite dire warnings of downpours it felt like the last day of summer! Volunteers old and new turned up with numbers of visitors to celebrate the community shop’s 20 wonderful years at the heart of the village. Despite some initial scepticism, the shop traded successfully from the very beginning owing to the hard work of the volunteers at the counter, the dedication of the management committee behind the scenes and not forgetting a number of paid professional shop managers.

Sadly a number of those who worked so hard to establish the business in the early days are no longer with us or are now unable to continue to serve owing to advancing years or ill health. At the end of the 20th birthday photographs on the next page are a number of links to previous happenings at the shop, where many of these pioneering volunteers can be seen in their heyday.

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