The Helmdon Health Service - that's what you could call Mr Charles Gibbons and his wife Ellen, who for more than a quarter of a century have played a vital part in the medical services available to folk living in Helmdon and surrounding villages.

For 26 years their home at 15 Church Street, Helmdon has been a distribution centre for doctor's prescriptions.

A different sort of prescription for Mr Charles Gibbons (right) and his wife Ellen - a cheque for £85 from parish councillors Mr. Eric Humphrey (left) and Mr. Jim Jessett as a reward for 26 years' service running Helmdon health.

Villagers unfortunate enough to have to visit the doctor for any sort of treatment would simply call round at the Gibbons' house the next day , and their medicine would be waiting for them, delivered there by the chemist who received the prescription straight from the doctor.

The scheme has always been entirely voluntary, and started when the railway from Helmdon to Brackley closed down many years ago.

The service has been taken over by the Bell Inn at Helmdon since January, and on Tuesday Mr and Mrs Gibbons were presented with a cheque for £85 from Helmdon parish council thanking them for all their help.

The council chairman, Mr Eric Humphrey, thanked the couple for their help over the years, and pointed out that for farmers and farm workers in remote cottages a trip into town to see a doctor, followed by another to fetch the medicine was often impossible.

Banbury Guardian - 17th March 1977