Hi Lister Friends, As per usual I am a little tardy in adding my penn'orth to the topic. However there were very good reasons this time! I was hospital visiting! Mention of the Whitsuntides of the past brings back memories of prewar processions on that day. The Sunday Schools gathered together, (at Pool Meadow in Coventry), and then we marched around a route through the city streets. I don't remember it in great detail, as it was so long ago, but there we were, marching behind our Sunday School banners, which had two "sticks, with the pictorial banner unfurled between them. They were works of art and we were justly proud of our own! (Shades of rivalry crept in there!). Bands were placed at intervals in the long ,long "crocodile".If your Sunday School was equidistant between two of them you were in dire staits, in deciding which one to keep in step with, as they never seemed to co-incide! Coventry City Salvation Army band was one of Britain's leading bands at the time, so anyone within hearing of them had a treat! (As an aside, for a moment, the Midlands and the North had some wonderful brass bands, many were from the factories--- Fairey Aviation and Black Dyke Mills are names that spring to my mind.With my father , and his earlier military background , as my mentor in this respect, I was thoroughly "educated" in the niceties of a good brass band). Back to the procession! We all followed our banners, dressed in our best dresses----it always was hot and sunny in those days! Usually we had the extra excitement of new dresses. I don't think that the reason for Whitsuntide really dawned on us. Maybe it was different for the Church of England Sunday School pupils, but I belonged to Chapel! The war interrupted this activity, and it became low key and less colourfully held in each suburb.There were no new dresses for us because of wartime restrictions ie. a limited supply of clothing coupons ----even necessary for handkerchiefs, ( 4 for one coupon). And then I think it gradually fizzled out because of the daytime raids. ------------------------------------- In my mother's time, at the very begimning of the 20th century, Whitsuntide was celebrated in great style. Fortunately I have a treasured record of this. (See the photo on Banburyshire Website---Reminiscences----Schooldays Pt 1). In that year, which was circa 1904/5, each Sunday School in Bedworh (N.Warks) ,had a little girl, dressed in white, riding a pony, heading its contingent. Auntie Florrie was being led by David Lucas, my grandfather. I believe that her group was from Colllycroft, but can't be dogmatic about that. Any of you who are fortunate to own a copy of one of the little books in the series ,"Britain in Old Photographs", pub Sutton Publishing, will no doubt have photographs of Whit processions too---and also other processions, as the populace turned out en masse to cheer on any event. The Bedworth copy has some lovely example of all types, including a Coronation procession annd a Remembrance Sunday one. The photograph I have is a sepia postcard one and I successfully blew it up to A3 size where the detail appears on the colourful banners! I love to lose myself in this photo---Granny and Gt Aunt Alice had run out from the pavement with probably a few sweeties for little Florrie! ( I remember mothers doing that to us, too!). You can feel the excitement! I also get lost in the Bedworth book.. It is dangerous to open it unless I have nothing pressing to do! I steep myself in its ambience. It is very evident that it was a different time, when community involvement, was greater and everyone joined in to share the excitements on offer. I sadly reflect that the modern media developments have widened our horizons but have destroyed that. But different times-------!!!! We have losses---and we have also some gains. One of the latter is the close communication I can now enjoy with my brother in England! So I have to be philosophical about many of the changes and the unavoidanble downsides. Joe, Len, Betty----have you any youthful Whitsuntide memories to share with us? Here's hoping! Regards, Muriel.

I am just delighted to read what you have written Muriel. Thank you. I have one photo in a book, of a Whitsunday procession, and I was so charmed by it, (not really knowing what was going on, but found out later). Since then...I have mentioned to our parish warden, that instead of "run for"...or "walk for"...couldn't we make it a bit of the old style, of a Whitsunday procession and have people pledge to that. As you say, these are different times. Thank you for sharing your lovely and special memories. This however might be a bit off topic so please forgive. Brenda Canada ----- Original Message ----- From: "pollyp" <[email protected]> To: "ENG-BANBURY-AREA" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 8:50 PM Subject: Re: [BAN] Whitsuntide----nostalgia! > Hi Lister Friends, > As per usual I am a little tardy in adding my penn'orth to the topic. > However > there were very good reasons this time! I was hospital visiting! > Mention of the Whitsuntides of the past brings back memories of prewar > processions on that day. The Sunday Schools gathered together, (at Pool > Meadow in Coventry), and then we marched around a route through the city > streets. I don't remember it in great detail, as it was so long ago, but > there we > were, marching behind our Sunday School banners, which had two "sticks, > with the pictorial banner unfurled between them. They were works of art > and > we were justly proud of our own! (Shades of rivalry crept in there!). > Bands were placed at intervals in the long ,long "crocodile".If your > Sunday > School was equidistant between two of them you were in dire staits, in > deciding which one to keep in step with, as they never seemed to > co-incide! > Coventry City Salvation Army band was one of Britain's leading bands > at the > time, so anyone within hearing of them had a treat! (As an aside, for a > moment, > the Midlands and the North had some wonderful brass bands, many were from > the factories--- Fairey Aviation and Black Dyke Mills are names that > spring to my > mind.With my father , and his earlier military background , as my mentor > in this > respect, I was thoroughly "educated" in the niceties of a good brass > band). > Back to the procession! We all followed our banners, dressed in our > best > dresses----it always was hot and sunny in those days! Usually we had the > extra > excitement of new dresses. I don't think that the reason for Whitsuntide > really > dawned on us. Maybe it was different for the Church of England Sunday > School > pupils, but I belonged to Chapel! > The war interrupted this activity, and it became low key and less > colourfully > held in each suburb.There were no new dresses for us because of wartime > restrictions ie. a limited supply of clothing coupons ----even necessary > for > handkerchiefs, ( 4 for one coupon). And then I think it gradually fizzled > out > because of the daytime raids. > ------------------------------------- > In my mother's time, at the very begimning of the 20th century, > Whitsuntide > was celebrated in great style. Fortunately I have a treasured record of > this. > (See the photo on Banburyshire Website---Reminiscences----Schooldays Pt > 1). > In that year, which was circa 1904/5, each Sunday School in Bedworh > (N.Warks) > ,had a little girl, dressed in white, riding a pony, heading its > contingent. Auntie > Florrie was being led by David Lucas, my grandfather. I believe that her > group > was from Colllycroft, but can't be dogmatic about that. > Any of you who are fortunate to own a copy of one of the little books > in the > series ,"Britain in Old Photographs", pub Sutton Publishing, will no doubt > have > photographs of Whit processions too---and also other processions, as the > populace turned out en masse to cheer on any event. The Bedworth copy has > some lovely example of all types, including a Coronation procession annd a > Remembrance Sunday one. > The photograph I have is a sepia postcard one and I successfully > blew it > up to A3 size where the detail appears on the colourful banners! I love to > lose > myself in this photo---Granny and Gt Aunt Alice had run out from the > pavement > with probably a few sweeties for little Florrie! ( I remember mothers > doing that > to us, too!). You can feel the excitement! > I also get lost in the Bedworth book.. It is dangerous to open it > unless I have > nothing pressing to do! I steep myself in its ambience. It is very evident > that it > was a different time, when community involvement, was greater and everyone > joined in to share the excitements on offer. I sadly reflect that the > modern > media developments have widened our horizons but have destroyed that. > But different times-------!!!! > We have losses---and we have also some gains. One of the latter is the > close > communication I can now enjoy with my brother in England! So I have to be > philosophical about many of the changes and the unavoidanble downsides. > Joe, Len, Betty----have you any youthful Whitsuntide memories to share > with > us? Here's hoping! > Regards, > Muriel. > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > http://www.british-history.ac.uk/ > British History Online > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

>I am just delighted to read what you have written Muriel. > Thank you for sharing your lovely and special memories. This however might > be a bit off topic so please forgive. Bren, since when on this list was sharing those 'ever decreasing memories' of childhood & traditions off topic ? Thought it was one of the attributes that made us slightly different from many other lists. Members here can feel comfortable to share more than 'nuts & bolt' data. I'm delighted & feel further informed also Murial by your posting - always something new to learn in this hobby. Angela co admin Banbury list