Ever heard of Theobalds?
I don’t know about you, but when I visit a church, I do like to pick up a Parish Magazine and browse through it. As well as information regarding services, clergy and inevitably safe-guarding, they contain interesting snippets regarding many aspects of the local community. Many churches have excellent magazines full of interesting material, but few, I can certainly say, can compare with our own Outlook which over a good number of years has been produced by a series of excellent editors. No, I will not name names as you know what can happen! But to each of them I want to offer sincere thanks for the standard they have achieved.
Now, it all began with the very first issue in January, 1879 – one single page at a cost of one penny, about ½p. We do not have the very first copy in the History Society Archive but we do hold a collection of several of the early copies. They do not make the easiest of reading, exhibiting the late-Victorian style of phraseology. For example, “…although it can hardly be expected that the whole tea will be again presented to the cause, it may well be understood that any offer of a “tray” will be gratefully received.” In other words, “we will be having a shared tea!”
By the end of the first year the magazine was regarded as a success with one reader commenting, “….we now know something of what goes on in the parish.” With the promise that in future the magazine would consist of two pages, the Rector trusted that the same number as before would subscribe. But a salutary note records that 2 year old Harry Rolfe had been baptised on 29th October and buried on 1st November.
However, a little closer to our own time, a mere 55 years ago, in fact. Members of the History Society recently had a trawl through the complete collection of magazines for 1970 and we have included a selection of interesting facts which caught our eyes.
That was the time of Canon John King as Rector and the Sunday Schools were flourishing with 12 teachers named, including several who will be reading this article all these years later, together with 28 magazine distributors! It was also noted that four sidesmen were appointed each Sunday for Evensong, a service once a jewel in the crown of the C of E but now largely noticed by its absence, rather than its inclusion in the majority of parish churches.
But danger lurked in the guise of a Roof Appeal and the sobering note that £1,800 would need to be raised during the year in order to meets the costs of approx. £4,000 to cover the necessary and urgent repairs to the roof, guttering and flooring of the church A whole range of events were proposed including a Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday in the High Street, but one novel idea was proposed – it was noted that there were 700 families residing in the town who looked to St. Peter’s as their Church, especially on family occasions. If only 400 families would donate one shilling, or 5p per week, £1,000 would be raised in one year! Well, by July 440 families had joined the scheme which meant that 50 collectors were required to go round and collect the strips of shillings every eight weeks.
A letter had been received from Isfahan in Iran from Susan Pack thanking all who had wished her well on her departure from Irthlingborough. Sadly, the tape which she also sent describing the work she was engaged in is sadly lost. How interesting that would have been. Good wishes were also extended to Eileen Chatterley as she began her Voluntary Service Overseas in a library in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
Advertisements are always full of interest and in those days one could not only find accommodation at The Bull Hotel but could daily be served lunch between 12 and 2pm, and a weekend supper grill was available until 11pm. Anyone still feeling a little peckish could easily pop along the High Street to The Chocolate Box for morning coffee, luncheon or afternoon with fresh cakes from Theobold’s in Kettering.
Planning for Feast Week began in March when it was announced that a Flower Festival would be staged together with what turned out to be a highly interesting and successful History of Irthlingborough exhibition arranged by Alan Palmer and Alan Mayes.
For others who were not able to listen to the tape from Ruth Pack, the May issue published a few extracts from her second ‘link letter’ which described the manner in which girls and women in Iran are brought up and treated in contrast to boys and men. Quite an eye-opener in those days before television gave us such an insight into the lives of people living in lands so far and different from the U.K.
Anyone still remember “Z Cars”, our local taxi firm or buying your Austin, Morris, Ford, Riley or Singer car from Cyril Abbott? All were exhorted by the Road Safety Committee to Drive Carefully and Learn to live!
What a Feast it turned out to be! Over 1,500 people visited the History of Irthlingborough & Flower Festival and just over 350 climbed to the top of the Tower. So many cups of tea and coffee were drunk that the ladies couldn’t keep up with the counting. All in all £215.1s.7d (or £215.7½) was raised for the Roof Appeal. Such interest was generated that several ladies asked if flower arranging classes could be organised. Two sessions costing five shillings were held under the direction of Mrs Sylvia Skerritt but attendees were reminded they had to take along their own flowers.
A number of men and women from the town have been ordained, or entered Christian ministry and that number was added to on 19th September when Paul Needle was made Deacon in Bradford Cathedral. Having served the Church in both this country and abroad Paul and Lynda finally returned ‘home’ when they moved into Lime Court in August.
Good news to end the year – the response to the Roof Appeal had been magnificent and hopes were high that the target would very shortly be reached. A Barn Dance with tickets costing just 20p, the Youth Fellowship’s pantomime Jack & the Beanstalk also at 40p and the nationally famous Rushden Temps Band in concert for just 25p all adding to the Appeal.
And finally, a New Look for 1971 with a redesigned 8 page Church Magazine with a different attractive cover picture in full colour every month. Readers were advised to cut the pictures out and frame them, or even use them for home-made calendars! And the best news of all was that the price would remain the same.