Church cleaning, Fete, and dinner canteen (1917)

Post date: Feb 02, 2014 12:53:49 PM

Extract from Parish Magazine of September 1917

NOTES AND NOTICES.

The organ in the Church has been thoroughly overhauled, repaired and cleaned. The work took about three weeks to carry out, and cost £21. Towards this sum a cheque for £10 has been received from a member of the congregation, and the churchwardens have asked the Vicar to make a special appeal for the balance through the collection on Sunday, Sept. 9th.

After the cleaning of the organ came the 'spring cleaning' of the Church, organised in accordance with a suggestion made at the Easter Vestry meeting. In writing notes for this Magazine the Vicar often shrinks from giving names, but on this occasion he feels that justice would not be done without mention of those who came forward to help Mrs. Livett in her arduous task. For the most part seat holders scrubbed and polished their own pews, or employed someone else to do it for them. But that arrangement left a considerable part of the Church to be dealt with by voluntary help. Among such helpers were the Misses Goodwin, Miss Lambert, Mrs. Brocklebank, Mrs. Bingham Stevens, Miss Harris, Miss Annie Harris, Mrs. Epps, Mrs. King, Mrs. Brooker, Mrs. Stephen Head and Mrs. George Head, and several members of the Mother's Union—the following giving from half a day to a day and a half of their valuable time, Mrs. Miles Latter, Mrs. Munday, Mrs. T. Curd, Mrs. Cole, Mrs. Bowers; while Mrs. Kirby, Mrs. Dawson, Mrs. Tompsett and Mrs. Wells gave two or three hours in the evening after their day's work on the farms was done. Gladys Cole and May Buckman also helped; and we must not forget to include in our list Messrs. James and Hadlow, who did most of the hard work of handling the Turk's Head in dealing with the roof-beams, wall-plates and other high parts of the Church. After the books, hassocks, carpets and cushions had been removed (in most cases by their owners), and the walls, etc. been brushed down, the voluntary scrubbers entered on their work, which was concluded by dusting and polishing. Before the hassocks, &c., were replaced, they were thoroughly beaten and, where necessary repaired by their owners. Some that had been left in the pews, apparently ownerless or discarded, were found to be beyond repair and were not replaced.

The nett result is that we have (for the first time for many years) a church that is as clean as we like our own houses to be, and an atmosphere that is really sweet to breathe (unless, as occasionally happens, there is an escape of gas).

We have to thank Mrs. Brocklebank for a present of three new little mats, one for the lectern and two for the sanctuary. Would anyone like to give a new mat—it need not be absolutely ' new'—about 10 feet square, for the vestry? And the chancel would be greatly improved by a mat covering the ascent from the nave to the altar rails—it would have to be made to special measurements in order to fit the site.

With regard to the furnishing of the church generally and of the pews in particular, on reflection we must come to feel that only the best is worthy to be used in the house of God. Worn-out cushions etc., moth-eaten, torn and dust-making, have been allowed to remain too long in our church. Even the poorest of us would not put up with such furniture in our own homes—we should turn it out, put it on the dust-heap, or burn it, and go without any if we could not afford something better. It is suggested that, for the seats, carpet mats should be substituted for stuffed cushions, which harbour moth and dust, cannot be easily cleaned, and soon get out of order. That is matter for consideration by those who hold seats alloted to them by custom or the churchwardens—free-seaters must remain content with the bare boards. The churchwardens are anxious that things should be made as easy as possible for the weekly cleaning, which they hope to have more thoroughly done in the future than in the past—to that end they intend to fix along the front of the pews, under the book-rests, little hooks on which the kneeling mats and hassocks when not in use may hang. The floors of the pews will be more likely to be properly swept out every week by the hired cleaners if they are not encumbered with kneelers. For this purpose seat-holders are requested to see that rings, by which the kneelers may be hung to the hooks, are attached to their own kneelers—and to hang them up at the close of every service. And is it too much to request further that seat-holders undertake themselves to have their pews scrubbed out from time to time, say once a month? Then we should feel that our church is being really cared for.

P.S. Some of the ownerless hassocks are good enough for repair. Please apply to Mrs. Livett.

* * * *

A GRAND FETE was held in the Vicarage Garden on Aug. 22nd. There were two performances at 5 and 6.30 p.m. The green-sward of the lawn, encircled by seats for the onlookers and beflagged for the occasion, served as a stage for the various items. The prettiest item was undoubtedly a Maypole Dance performed by sixteen school girls, who wore white frocks with trails of ivy round their waists and ivy wreaths on their, heads, and on their feet red sandals, bound by various coloured ribbons. Tripping on to the lawn in pairs, to the singing of "Come lasses and lads" by the school children, they ranged themselves round the May Pole, planted in the centre of the great circle, and, seizing the ribbons that floated from the top of the pole, they went through a series of intricate figures, with charming grace and evident enjoyment, to strains of music that proceeded from the drawing room. There was perfect agreement between the dancers and the invisible pianist (Miss Hambly), who cleverly adapted the rhythm of her improvised tunes to the varying evolutions of the dancing. It all appeared to be very easy, and when it was finished the fairy-like forms tripped away as lightly and unconcernedly as they had come.

The programme included four competition items, the judging being done by some of the wounded soldiers who came with matron and nurse from Barham Court, and the prizes consisting of simple homemade and hand-painted cards. Perhaps the most amusing show was the War Work Parade—groups, "each of not less than three persons representing some industry or activity which is helping us to win the war," which proceeded twice round the circle of the lawn. On the second round the prizes were awarded as the groups passed the judges, and a little further on Mrs. Leney, seated under the Union Jack, presented the prize cards to the winners. The Vicarage Maids, dressed as Red Cross Nurses and bearing a badly wounded scout on a stretcher, won first prize; the second fell to the Vicarage and Sander children, who, with the help of a pony and plough, represented farm labourers; while Miss Spickernell's group, consisting of an aviator, a flag seller and a munition worker, took the third. Another group, emanating from The Limes, and representing canteen workers, was exceedingly good, but we cannot go through the whole gamut.

There was also a Bicycle Parade and a Perambulator and Mail Cart Parade. In the latter the award of first prize was made to an "entry" who was not really a competitor, for she did not fulfil the conditions—"the best decorated (flowers, ribbons, paper, etc.) and best turned out pram or mail cart"—and was allowed to join the procession for the fun of the thing. But the mistake could not be corrected, and we write this merely by way of apology. Mrs. Lawrence gained second prize. In the Bike Parade, among seven or eight entries, all good, the awards were:—1, Cecilia Livett, " Stars and Stripes;" 2, Kathleen Boorman, " Italy;" 3, Marjorie Rogers, "France." There were also two Baby Competitions, one for babies under six months—1, Mrs. Zimmerman's ; 2, Mrs. Rye's—and another for those over six months—1, a Mereworth mother's ; 2, Mr. Frank King's. These, perhaps the most important competitions, were necessarily the least "showy" on parade, but they came first on the programme and the mothers were properly proud of the babies and made no fuss of walking round the ring.

Last of all came a Scouts Display by the Wateringbury Troop, under Scout Master E. A. Smith, and the affiliated wolf-cubs under Mrs. Smith, which gave diversity and added much to the success of the fete. The fete was brought to a close after the boys had sung their school song, The Rally, by a March Past of all the "Parades," headed by the School Band (which, by the way, enlivened the proceedings throughout with various pieces), finishing up with a Salute of the Flag (planted in the midst where the may pole had stood) and the singing of the National Anthem. (Mr. Benfield kindly supplied the flagstaff and flag for the salute.) The success of the fete was due in no small measure to the sporting way in which competitors came up to the scratch for the various parades, Mrs. Livett was rewarded for her trouble by hearty congratulations and by the one perfectly fine day of a St. Swithin's summer; and everyone will be pleased to know that a sum of £13 odd has been sent up to the British Red Cross Fund.

WATERINGBURY SCHOOL CHILDREN'S DINNER CANTEEN.—The executive committee of the Children's Dinner Canteen met at the Vicarage on August 20th to take stock of its operations and to make provisions for the future. The joint secretaries who succeeded Miss Dorothea Livett on her appointment to a full-time War-work post in connexion with the West Kent War Women's Agricultural Committee, were commissioned to draw up a report for publication, with a balance sheet, in the Magazine. The report runs as follows :—

The Wateringbury School Children's Dinner Canteen,which closed for the holidays on August 22nd, after running for ten weeks, has so far proved a distinct success. Both parents and children appreciate it, and it has helped to save literally hundreds of loaves of bread.

This success has only been attained by hard work on the part of the many willing voluntary workers, among whom we should particularly like to mention our two caterers, Mrs. G. G. Flint and Mrs. Warburton. Their task has been by no means a light one, but they have faced it with a courage that would carry anything through. The same remark applies to Miss King, who has proved a most efficient treasurer. And if only space permitted we should like to mention by name the many able cooks, servers, scrubbers and others, who all have worked splendidly. Among our voluntary workers are to be found some working mothers who willingly give up some of their valuable time to help in the canteen.

The readers of the Magazine will notice that in the statement of accounts appended there is a considerable balance in hand. It is due partly to the fact that the bill for gas has not yet come to hand, and has therefore not been paid, while a sum of £5, generously contributed by the Gas Company through Mr. Bertram Leney, appears amongst the receipts; and it is also due to the gifts of vegetables and fruit, &c., received daily from many kind friends. Large as it appears, however, the balance, after payment of the gas account, will not be more than will be needed to meet the increased expenses of the winter months, when we cannot expect to have so many generous gifts, and must necessarily resort to the purchase of more vegetables. Careful economy will be essential.

We should like to add that this scheme which has been launched so successfully could not have been carried out at all had it not been for the ready support of the Institute Committee, who without hesitation granted the free use of their building for the canteen. We are also indebted to the K.E.C. for the use of their cooking materials, and for allowing their instructress, who has readily fallen in with the scheme, to do the cooking with her class on Tuesdays.

The dinners will re-commence on October 2nd. Tickets for that week must be purchased on or before the 24th September from Mr. Epps, as Miss King will be away from home.

August, 1917.

(Signed) F. G. LEMMENS.

F. M. LlVETT.

NOTE.— The appended summary of accounts, intended to show at a glance the sources of the moneys received and the way in which they have been expended, has been abstracted from the Statement of Accounts drawn up by the Treasurer and endorsed " Examined with vouchers and found correct. F. Spickernell, August 29th, 1917":—

SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTS.

IN MEMORIAM

By the death of Mr. Henry White the parish has lost a most useful and genial inhabitant and the Church a most regular member of the congregation. With one short interval he represented Wateringbury for about 30 years as Guardian and Rural District Councillor. At the,time of his death he was Chairman ot the Council's Roads and Footpaths Committee and served on the Finance Committee, and also on the Assessment, Finance and House Committees of the Union. The second son of Alfred White, of Nettlestead Court, he came to reside at The Lodge, Wateringbury, while still a bachelor, and there spent the rest of his life. In his early days he was tenant of the Manor Farm, and later on he farmed land successively at Yalding and West Farleigh. He commemorated his Golden Wedding on the 24th of July last, after the final breakdown of his health, and attained his 76th birthday on Aug. 8th. a day or two after receiving the Holy Communion in his sick-room. On Aug. 21st he died, and he was buried in the Cemetery on the 24th, the Service being taken by the Vicar and the Rev. H. Crawford, some time Curate of Wateringbury. Representatives of the Gardeners' Society, in which Mr. White had shown much interest, carried the coffin to the grave. Wreaths were sent by that Society and also by the tradesmen of the parish and by the Wateringbury Conservative Association, of which Mr. White had for some years been Chairman.