Banburyshire woman praises support from villagers after devastating house fire

Julie Richards and her partner, Paul Murray, arrived back in Hornton last week to discover their Grade 2-listed thatched cottage ablaze and surrounded by firemen.

But she says friends and neighbours have rallied round – with money, accommodation and help - to an amazing extent.

Julie said: “I just can’t thank the village enough. How can you describe Hornton? Fantastic, fabulous. I’ve lived here for 15 years and the people have been wonderful, all pulling together when times need it. They really pulled out all the stops.”

A fire completely gutted the thatch cottage on Sunday May 31.

At least six appliances and specialist units from neighbouring fire services attended the blaze. Firefighters from the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service along with the Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Buckingham Fire and Rescue Service all responded to the fire.

The village lost electricity for some hours during the firefighting operation.

A fundraising campaign was launched by the Hornton Village Parish Council for the couple – who were left with the clothes on their backs after the fire - raised more than £1000 within three hours of going live and £2000 after 24 hours.

It now stands at just over £3,500, but you can add to that figure by logging on to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/crosby-cottage-fire-fund

Julie said even though the couple were insured, almost everything in the house was destroyed.

She added: “That fundraising is really going to make our lives over the next few months a lot easier than it was going to be without it.

“But it’s not just the money aspect. It’s everything from Steve and Rebecca at the public house - under pressure at the moment with Covid-19 with no business – who went out to feed the firemen and gave them drinks, to everybody else supporting you.

“Covid seemed to go out of the window because people were so generous with their cups of tea, their bacon sandwiches, their items of clothing. I’m still getting gifts of flowers and chocolates brought to me a week later to make me feel better.

“And Catherine and Graham Vint of Hornton Grounds Farm offered to put us up for free in their B&B. They just wanted to put a roof over our heads and help us as much as they could. We are just so grateful to them.”

Work has already started on making the cottage watertight and Paul and Julie are hopeful that the two Grade 2-listed architectural features inside, an inglenook fireplace and a 400-year-old wooden staircase, can be saved.