Tag Archives: church

Jill Cowley

August 16, 2013

Carnival 2013 Prizes Spirit of Carnival Helen Crates receives award

Carnival 2013 Prizes: Spirit of Carnival Helen Sceales, receives Award from Carnival Committeee President Brenda Garlick.

The sun came out to see the prizes awarded this afternoon for the town’s Carnival Competitions, of which the Jewel in the crown is the award of Spirit of Carnival. This year’s winner is Helen Sceales, who holds the award, and represents the Carnival at events such as November 5th Fireworks and Carols in the Square.

Carnival 2013, Spirit Award Winner , Helen Scales

Carnival 2013, Spirit Award Winner Helen Sceales

Carnival 2013, Spirit Award Winner , Helen Sceales

Carnival 2013, Best Dressed House

Other prize winners: The Meaning Family for Best Dressed House, which reflected famiy history and ties with Canada. Joanne’s father, John Peston came to Yarmouth as a Canadian soldier in WWII .

Best Dressed House, Victoria Road,
Carnival 2013 Prize to Meaning family for Best Dressed House ‘Prairie Folk – Mum, Dad and the Kids’: Carnival 2013 Prize for Best Dressed House

Tony and Joanne Meaning who won the prize for Best Dressed House with their family photos and ‘Prairie family’ enjoying the sun in the garden.

Tony and Joanne sponsored the ‘Decorated Dinghies’ competition.

Best Dressed House, Victoria Road,

Carnival 2013 Prize to Meaning family for Best Dressed House

Joanne and Tony Meaning and family receiving the ‘Best Dressed House’ prize, a crystal bowl.

Delighted individuals: It would have been Ist Prize if only there had been more than one blue Smartie in the pack…

Carnival 2013 Prize for Treasure Hunt Ryan and Karen Ingram from Thorley

Carnival 2013 Prize for decorated garden : Stella Taylor

Stella Taylor deservedly won the prize for the Best Miniature garden – judged by Anne Toms who has the Gallery in the High Street.

: Carnival 2013 Prize for decorated garden : Stella Taylor, ‘I’ve been working on it all week’

Carnival 2013:

It took the mayor, Steve Cowley, and David Langford, Master of Ceremonies, a long while to discover the bear’s name from this prize winner.

And then off to the harbour for a boat trip to watch the Lifeboat display.

Carnival 2013 harbour trip as pirates, Curtis and sister

Carnival 2013 harbour trip as pirate

Jean Maitland: Yarmouth School, Florrie Knee

I always felt sorry for poor old Florrie.
Old Miss Ireland, the one I said I didn’t like, used to ask on Monday morning who had been to church, put your hands up if you had been to church, because they didn’t like it if you didn’t go to church. Anyway Florrie put her hand up and Miss Ireland said,
‘You can put your hand down. You never went to church, you went to the Methodist Church.’ Florrie went to the chapel along South Street and so did Megan Cook (nee Buckett) Jean Maitland nee Levey1928

Peter Smith: Thorley 1950s

Thorley from above

Thorley in the 1950’s had many things of interest for me. The small stream at the end of our houses contained hundreds of sand shrimps under the stones, and caddis fly larvae were quite often found. The bigger stream over the fields, Thorley Brook, held other delights such as sticklebacks, minnows, tadpoles and water beetles, all of which we used to catch and bring home in jam jars. One day I brought home a jar with some tadpoles and a water beetle, hoping eventually to see the tadpoles turn into frogs. The next morning I found, to my amazement, all the tadpoles had disappeared. Had they changed into frogs already and jumped out? The water beetle, which was about 2” long, had made the most of a ready meal and eaten the tadpoles. Peter Smith b 1946

Peter Smith: Thorley, Newclose Farm horses 1950s

Horse drawn binder 1913

Heal’s Farm (Newclose) cart horses Cornel and Warwick used to be kept in the field behind the Church. They were huge shire horses and would often come and look over the hedge at us as we went down Blacksmith’s Lane. The field there was several feet higher than the Lane so it made the horses seem even bigger. The horses were used for pulling carts around the farm and could often be seen with a two wheeled cart full of mangels that were being dropped in the fields for the cattle to eat. Peter Smith b 1946

Gerry Sheldon: Early days

The vicar, Revd. Woodin, had a bit of a temper. I remember once when he thought there weren’t enough people in church, he leaned forward and banged and banged on the pulpit. Gerry Sheldon nee Haward b1924

Early days: Servers’ Outing

Eileen Smith : St James Church 1920s

On Sundays we had to go to church 3 times, Matins, Sunday School and Evensong. My sister and I used to go up in the gallery, above where our Grandma sat wearing a hat with a wide brim. We’d take little pellets of paper in our pockets and flick them down into her hat brim.
Grandad was the verger and for a special treat he’d take us up the church tower. It was exciting going up, but I didn’t like going down. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921

View from ChurchTower

Serena Dias de Deus nee Hunt: characters at church

Miss Scadding played the church organ. She was quite eccentric; had her hair cut like a man, which was not usual in those days, and wore a mortar board. She regaled us with stories about her cats. Her family had a music shop at Totland. I believe her father used to teach organ at Osborne House, maybe to Queen Victoria’s children, I seemed to have heard that at some time.

There were plenty of “characters” who attended the church, such as the Dashwood family from The Mount ; Theresa , Caroline, Cuthbert and Constance.
The Dashwood family had always had their private pew in the church balcony, but the balcony had been put out of bounds because it needed repairs and the roof leaked. However, Theresa took no notice of this and alone took her rightful place on the balcony. If it rained, she just put her umbrella up.

Cuthbert wore plus fours and rode an old fashioned bicycle. To mount it, he used to run along with the bike and suddenly leap onto a sort of pedal at the back and jump into the saddle. We children loved to witness this!

Caroline came to my house one day when I was small and took me to The Mount to look at the wisteria which was growing on a wall and was very beautiful. She brought some freshly cooked asparagus for my cat, which she said cats enjoyed. I could not believe it, but he did.
Constance had rosy cheeks and was very sweet and friendly. Serena Dias de Deus nee Hunt b1939

Phil Kelsey: Church

All the kids went to church. If you were a server you had to go to church without any breakfast. You went to church at 8 o’clock in the morning with the parson, and then when it was all over you went along to the rectory for breakfast. You used to do all right there because Vi White, she’d be there, and she used to lash us up with a bloody good breakfast, sausages or something or other, porridge, she always had a good breakfast for you.

In the church when you was in the choir, at Christmas and Easter you got two bob – the parson used to give you two bob. Then a bit later, when you got a bit older and you went on to be a server and had the red cassock, you got half a crown at Easter and Christmas.

On Good Friday they used to have a procession around the town. They used to come out of church and went up the High Street and down Ommanney Road. I think we turned left and come back round to the church that way
Phil Kelsey b 1920

Yarmouth and Thorley Voices

Learn about the history of Yarmouth and Thorley from the people who have lived it