Tag Archives: St Swithin’s Church

Delia Whitehead: Harvest Festival at St. Swithin’s Thorley

Thorley St Swithin’s Church

When I was young I lived at the Toll Gate just outside of Yarmouth. My Aunt Alice always took me to St Swithin’s Harvest Festival (now called Harvest Thanksgiving).

On one occasion we were singing a lovely harvest hymn, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a movement. I looked towards a pile of vegetables and on the top was a marrow. On top of the marrow was a mouse chewing away quite happily and it did so for a long time.

It was only a few years ago I was telling a lady from Thorley about this and she said that the Thorley mice still come to the Harvest Service and their teeth marks were often found on the vegetables and fruit.
Delia Whitehead nee Hunt b 1934

Jean Smith marries Brian Saunders: Thorley May 1980

Jean Smith marries Brian Saunders, May, 1980

Jean Smith marries Brian Saunders, May, 1980: Photo Jean Saunders

When Jean and Brian were married at St. Swithin’s Church, Thorley, local village children came to watch. Jean invited them all  to join the occasion and be included in the photo. This is the result – a true village celebration.
Front left: Louise Cowley, Anna Vinycombe,
Back row from left: Thomas Cowley, unknown, Kim Weston, ?Roberts, (Brian and Jean), ? Roberts, Mandy Bruce,Zoe Weston, Lee Weston.

Jean’s parents both looked after church and churchyard for many years, Ralph taking care of the churchyard and maintaining its wild flowers, Eileen looking after the church itself as verger.

Eileen’s grandfather, Jean’s great grandfather, Robert May, was verger at St. James Church Yarmouth for over 40 years.

Kitty Pearce: Thorley, St Swithin’s Church, 1920s -1990s

Kitty Pearce D

Kitty Pearce with her choir used to and put on nativity plays every year which packed the church out. She played the organ in Thorley for 50 years, right from when my mum was at school. I think she was one of the oldest organists ever; over 90.
Mary Henderson b 1954

Miss Kitty Pearce BEM was organist at St Swithin’s for 50 years. She retired in 1994 at 91, and died in 1998