Author: Margaret Day

‘But Who is my Neighbour?’: Engaging with Other Faiths in Kidlington

Kidlington is changing in many ways and one of these is the greater diversity of faiths
among our neighbours. We also live in challenging political times at home and abroad.

An important way of meeting and deepening our understanding of our neighbours of other
faiths is through a local Scriptural Reasoning Group. These groups are an established
way for people of different faiths to come together for friendship, dialogue, and to learn
through engaging with each other’s scriptures. A small group will meet each month, with a
moderator, for 75 minutes and will focus on a topic common to the different scriptures.
Together the members read the scriptures and then there is time for discussion and
deepening understanding in an atmosphere of respect.

We are trialling a new group in Kidlington starting in 2026. To find out more about this topic and the planned group, then just click here.

Immediately after the service on the 16th the Oxford Oboe Trio will be performing with a
retiring collection in aid of Kidlinks and St Mary’s Church.

The Oxford Oboe Trio is a recently-formed ensemble comprised of three friends based
in Oxfordshire. The Trio first met through the Southbank Sinfonia scheme for promising
orchestral musicians (now Sinfonia Smith Square). The Trio is excited to explore the
niche and underrepresented repertoire for oboe trio whilst engaging with their local
community.

Laura Roberts-Campbell studied oboe at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and
the Royal Northern College of Music. Since graduating, Laura has performed with
professional orchestras including BBCSO, the Philharmonia, and Royal Northern
Sinfonia. Since 2023 Laura has been working as the oboe teacher at the Oxfordshire
County Music Service. She lives in Kidlington with her husband and their young son.
Emma Gibbons graduated with a Masters in Oboe Performance from the Royal College
of Music in 2015. Since leaving RCM, Emma has enjoyed a busy and varied freelance
career playing with orchestras such as The Orchestra of The Royal Opera House, The
Orchestra of English National Opera, London Contemporary Orchestra and regularly
tours with shows in the UK and Ireland with the Novello Orchestra. Emma grew up in
Summertown and now lives in East Oxford with her husband and two young daughters.
Tim Keasley is an oboist, presenter and workshop leader living in Cowley. He studied at
Pembroke College Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music and has gone on to play
Principal Oboe with English Touring Opera and Oxford Philharmonic. He regularly
presents concerts at Wigmore Hall and directs concerts for internationally award winning
production company MishMash. When not playing the oboe, he can be found swimming
in Hinksey Lake or chain knitting socks.

Please do come and support this event.

Our newest Home/Study group is now getting settled – do contact Curate Paul if you’d like to know more.

The Friends of St Mary’s offer you a fascinating entertainment this coming Saturday, 1st November. James Hamilton, (author of the acclaimed biography “Constable – A Portrait”) will present the passionate correspondence of John and Maria Constable, assisted by Katharine Eustace and Shirley Steventon, with Philip Towler on the organ. Tickets £20 (discounts available). Find out more at fosmk.org.uk/james-hamilton-talk

Christmas Tree Festival on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th of December 2025

Building on last year’s success, St Mary’s Kidlington will once again be hosting its Christmas Tree Festival on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th of December. There will be live music and refreshments and many hundreds of people will pass through the doors to enjoy the Christmas spirit.

This year the festival will be in aid of Papyrus, which works to prevent suicide in Young People, and the Noor Society, which works with disabled people in refugee camps in Bethlehem, see
https://www.papyrus-uk.org/
https://noorsocietyfordisabled.wordpress.com/home/

If you would like to support us again and advertise your business / organisation by sponsoring a tree, please fill the form out here: https://forms.gle/qtPZQ94JCj9HQY2k8

To view a short video (1min) of last year’s festival here with the choir singing live in
the background: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PYBMS_5eRQ

Any questions at all, no matter how big or small, feel free to email me on office@kidhp.org.uk
Thanks all, Malc

What a great celebration – find out more here