Many people in Eynsham remember with fondness the late Dr Revel Elliot (1933-2022), who with her husband Raymond moved into ‘Greystones’ in Newland Street in 1972. Revel being Revel of course was always looking for ideas and stimulating conversation. Friends recall how she would not only listen to their news, but also want to critique their views, and was not afraid to employ the Socratic method to challenge their thinking.
Active in St Peter’s Catholic Church, for Revel, faith and justice went hand in hand. She put her talents to good use as a translator for refugees, and as a speaker for Amnesty international. She also galvanized the local community in Eynsham to support the homeless through Gatehouse, which she and Raymond supported for many years. Revel was an ethical consumer and amateur vegetarian, deeply interested in the morality of fair trade, organic farming, food miles and so on, although sometimes at the expense of actual meal planning. Her relentless energy and determination lasted far longer than would be expected of most people. Even when she reached retirement age, she insisted that she was only ‘semi-retired’ as if she was just taking a break while waiting for the right opportunity to return to work. She was determined to stay in ‘Greystones’ for as long as possible. She held on for as long as she could, before eventually agreeing to what was initially respite care in Banbury where she died and where Raymond now lives.
Thanks to Fr Martin Flatman for this extract from the eulogy by Revel’s daughter Rosie. The photo first appeared in a feature on the burial of bodies from the Eynsham Abbey site and was added to our gallery of former residents in 2022.