Empire Day
I recently read a lovely piece on Memories where a writer elaborated on a number of school celebrations but only very briefly mentioned Empire Day—May 24th.
How do I remember Empire Day at Irthlingborough Schools? Well the evening before I would whiten my plimsolls ready. A round block of whitener on a saucer and a proper “sponge”—dampen the sponge and rub it over the block then apply to the plimsolls-but not too thick- at seven years old I had learned from experience that too much whitener would crack and fall off the plimsolls as you walked leaving a white powdery trail.
There would be the usual lessons during the morning but at 12 o’clock we would run home to get ready for Empire Day. It had been drummed into us that we would be celebrating this day along with thousands of other children the length and breadth of the British Empire.
My white dress with red buttons and piping round the collard and belt would be the ready. I was glad that I could look so posh on this special day. Lots of the girls had white or pale dresses which they wore for the occasion and of course it was unthinkable to wear anything other than white socks.
Those who belonged to the Brownies, Salvation Army Sunbeams Scouts or Cubs were encouraged to go back to school wearing their uniforms.
After dinner and back in our classroom we all queued at the door to march outside into the playground and form up to face the school where the Union Flag would have been run up the flag pole
Usually a leading dignitary (a Doctor, Councillor or Shoe Manufacturer would give us a rousing patriotic speech reminding us that we were all part of a great nation. We would then sing our specials songs. We had been practising so that we were word perfect. I loved Jerusalem—“And did those feet in ancient times” and “I Vow to Thee my Country.” I sang with gusto, even though I didn’t understand words like, “countenance divine” and what were those “dark satanic mills?”
We would then be asked to salute the flag. We were almost bursting with pride. Yes I loved Empire Day. I remember the words to those some 70 years later and yes, I still feel pride when I go to the park with my dog every morning and see the Union Jack flying on the flag pole in Terry Bonner’s garden down Hayway.
Jean Rowland
Wanted – A Clock
In 1906, Irthlingborough High Street West often had a different time from High Street East—and this caused “Bee Gee” to write the following Ode.
Our old clock is dismissed from the tower
We jump at the minutes and guess at the hour
Women and children and men in their prime
Go to bed when it’s dark –lacking definite time.
The good shepherd says to his flock, “Don’t delay,
We’ll meet at 6-30 this evening to pray”
Eventide cometh—alas—sure as fate,
The watches are wrong and the people are late.
The farmer to market starts out in the rain
At quarter to twelve-for the ten o’clock train.
Men go to their dinner quite often to see
Others who are just coming back from their tea.
Someday, without doubt, it may cause quite a shock,
If the postman delivers to the parish-a clock.
Who’s game for a dollar?A “quid” if you like,
If you all set to work, a new “ticker” may strike.
The rhyme seems to have had some result as the following article appeared in the local paper on 27th October 1906:
The opening ceremony in celebration of the completion of the Church clock was observed on Saturday 27th October.
At 3.30pm a service was held in the Parish Church when the opening ceremony was performed by the Venerable Archdeacon Kitchen, Rector of Rushden.
During the singing of the hymn “O God our help in ages past” the clergy and choir proceeded to the west end of the Church where the rural Dean pronounced a special dedicatory prayer.
The clock was then set going and all within the Church heard for the first time the quarter sound and the gong strike in sombre tones the hour of 4 pm.
In addition to the Church clock we now have a clock on the former Co-op Office building which was erected in the year 2000, by Mr G.L. Chambers of G.L. Chambers Developments, who now owns the building.
(Do they always both tell the same time?)
Do you remember going to Sunday School?
In the immediate post-WW2 period it seemed that nearly every child attended Sunday School. So many children attended the Salvation Army where Violet Reynolds, Lilian Langley and Bill Langley amongst others held sway that the Young Peoples’ Hall, later known as the Green Hall, was purchased to accommodate them all.
There has been a Sunday School associated with St Peter’s Church for well over one hundred and fifty years. In fact, the Rector speaking in 1899 spoke about ‘our long established Sunday School.’
The Baptist Church too did sterling work also and may well have established the very first Sunday School in the town in 1816.
The various Sunday Schools certainly catered for the needs of children in the town by organising so many varied activities, but possibly the most eagerly awaited was the annual trip to the seaside for scholars, parents and friends. My mother was flabbergasted one year when it was decided that the Salvation Army annual trip would be to London Zoo. She would much have preferred her annual dose of a biting cold wind at an East Coast resort!
Those trips must really have required some organisation – firstly in choosing a destination to suit everyone; agreeing on a charge that the majority could afford to pay in those cash-strapped days; collecting the money in weekly instalments; issuing tickets with both bus and seat number, having considered all requests as to where people wanted, or didn’t want to sit; and finally, getting the convoy of up to ten United Counties single-decker buses away on time.
Do you remember those wonderful days? The great excitement of walking along the High Street at half past six and seeing bus after bus lined up – newsagents George Bradshaw, Burton at the Cross and Crawford Jones open and ready to serve the excursionists with comics and sweets for the journey – and the odd extra wooden chair being fetched from the Army Hall when it was found that thirty people had been allocated to a twenty nine seater bus.
Those were the days of course well before motorways or modern A-roads and when a 30 mph speed restriction for buses was in force. No wonder that it was nearly dinner time when the convoy finally arrived at its destination, having made two obligatory comfort stops en route.
Many regard those post-war years as the halcyon days of the Sunday School at St Peter’s with Miss K.E.Mason holding sway as Superintendent and ably assisted by the likes of Mr Ellard, Miss F.Dickens, Miss E.Hewitt, Mavis Anderson, and Elizabeth and Hazel Lines, whilst Mary Lee, Miss Lane and Miss P.Ingyon assisted Miss Lovell with the Infants.
A change in direction came in 1967 when on 3rd September the Pathfinders met for their first meeting. The aim was to cater for the over eleven age group and sports, rallies and quizzes were added to the programme.
The Youth Fellowship was already pretty active by then and Roger Lines recorded in the Church Magazine that his group were constantly being congratulated on leading inspiring services! Roger always was an optimist, and liable to exaggeration!
Roy York
And a Piece of Cheese please
The gin and water episode published in the DEC.2009 issue of the Newsletter bought to mind a tale told to me soon after I started work for Thompsons, round about ‘43 I think.
Told by either Bill Johnson or Bill Knighton. These were two labourers in the ground working gang, nearly always working together and always bickering. Whichever one it was told me he was working in a harvesting gang for a very mean farmer (no it was not the one you’re thinking of!!) The farmer’s wife would fill those stone narrow necked jugs from the barrel until the froth was seen at the top. That meant there was sometimes more froth than beer.
This did not suit BILL at all. So he made sure that someone would slip a piece of cheese in a jug whenever he could “Nothing like a bit of cheese to take the head off a pint” says he.
These were two great characters but it seemed as though most of Thompsons men of that time were
Contributed by Terry Marshall
DIAMOND DAYS
The Diamond Days Exhibition held at the Methodist Chapel over the May Bank holiday weekend was a joint venture between the Methodists and the Historical Society.
In the Chapel a number of mannequins were on display dressed in wedding dresses from each decade including the 1950 to the present day, each with the original bouquets beautifully replicated by the Methodist ladies.
Numerous wedding photos from the Historical Society archives were displayed around the Hall.
More photos from the Society’s collection were shown in the Goliath Hall, of Irthlingborough over the past 60 years including many long gone shops and buildings and numerous photos of sporting events.
A large number of visitors came from the surrounding area, and few from further afield. Lunch of soup and rolls were on offer and tea, coffee and delicious home made cakes were available throughout the day
All in all a very successful and enjoyable time, and hopefully the forerunner of more joint ventures between the Methodists and the Historical Society..
Thanks to all who helped with the Exhibition and to all the visitors whose complimentary comments made it all worth while!!
The following evening (Tuesday) saw members and friends of the Historical Society on a tour of St. Peter’s Church with an informative talk on its history from our Chairman Roy. The evening ended with a fish and chip supper and all agreed it was most enjoyable. .
Laundry Project
During 2011, The Society has been working very hard on a Heritage Lottery funded project
to commemorate the Co op laundry at Crow Hill, Irthlingborough which was a major employer in the
town for many years but sadly is no more.
We are producing a DVD of interviews and memories of the laundry which will
be available in the summer of 2012. There will also be an exhibition at the Crow Hill
Community Centre with photos and the chance to share your own memories.
The date is still to be finalised but we hope to hold it on 26th June 2012
so make a note for your diary !
Timeline
We are at the early stages of creating a timeline for the town.
We currently have assembled 42 pages dating from the time of King Offa in the 6th century up to the present day.
The Leisure Club
At the preparation stage is our project to record the beginnings of the town’s Darby and Joan Club
(also known as ‘The Leisure Club’).
Memories of this club would be most welcome via this website.