Hi Muriel, I have been pondering the white dress parade a little more, and the phrase "Walking Day" comes to mind. Has the parade ever been referred to or known as Walking Day? I cannot remember what time of year it was, but as I was in a white sleeveless dress my mother had made, it must have been a warmer season. I half remember carrying a white Prayer Book that my grandmother had given me, too. I remember going on other parades with the Girl Guides and Brownies, but I think that was more for Remembrance Day and Thinking Day. It seems to me that Parades were a great thing back then, much planning and rehearsal especially if elected to be flag bearer. Now, sadly, it seems that parades are more likely to be protest marches about some thing or another, but I remember as a young person how proud I was in parades and when I was in the Flag Part....Wow! What an honour! Carole -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of pollyp Sent: Sunday, 29 July 2007 10:47 a.m. To: ENG-BANBURY-AREA Subject: Re: [BAN] Whit and other memories. Hi fellow Listers, Good that more are joining in with memories of the processions and marches that they were involved in when young. Rhoda, you were so right about a general falling off in smartness in the participants of so many events. My sister and I belonged to the Girls' Life Brigade, and were turned out very smartly for Church Parades and anything else that came up. I remember lining the route when Princess Elizabeth visited Coventry, to open the new Broadgate in1948. She wore a lime green fullskirted coat with a peplum effect. Nicely concealing as it was soon announced that she was expecting a child, (Prince Charles) and a refreshing contrast in colour and style from the austerity we were used to. With coupons and shortages we still seemed to managea smart turnout. During the war itself full GLB. uniform was excused and the light blue PT. uniform dress, worn with white ankle socks, and a beret, was acceptable. How proud I was when my mother bought me the full uniform dress of navy blue, which was worn with black silk stockings. I rather fancied myself in those, having a neat pair of ankles in those days! It is a shame that general smartness and pride in appearance seems to have slipped so badly. In contrast our local newspapers show photographs of the rapidly dwindling war veterans, at the open-air, (and often dawn), services on Remembrance Day and Anzac Day. Most setting an example in their marching, and others limping valiently along. All are smartly turned out, wearing their medals with pride---and occasionally there is a young boy marching in place of his deceased grandfather or gt.grandfather, and displaying his medals. As to the wearing of white at Whitsun, obviously this tradition was more strongly observeved in some areas than others. My guess is that it was perpetuated most strongly in the North and perhaps the Midlands. Carole's description would be of a Whit Sunday procession. Thinking about it the other day, I mused on the dressing up for the Whitsun Parades at the turn of the 19th century. So many people on the borders of poverty, and yet they wore these lovely white dresses! That is the case of young Florrie Lucas, whose family were near the poverty line, and yet she had the most gorgeous outfit---an intricately decorated dress and a veil. Of course grandma was a trained tailoress and dressmaker and probably could achieve miracles with scraps and offcuts from the street markets. Grandma's eyesight had been ruined when sewing by candlelight so I only saw the faint echoes of her talent, as a little girl in the 1930s.(If anyone is interested in what little Florrie wore, I am happy to send a photo offlist). Many of these old customs seem to have fizzled out or become pale watered-down apologies of themselves. It is perhaps a reflection of our times, with the emphasis being based on a wider community. Old values have been replaced---some, unfortunately, others for the better! With communities not being so tightly adhesive people are not so concerned with pride, and keeping up appearances. My paternal grandmother was a good example of a "proud" woman---with neat appearance, fabulous colouring and complexion and guardsman deportment. Her bread and butter was cut so thin that it was almost transparent. She had been in service and liked things nice! I am betting that in her early married life to George she had a struggle to keep up her standards---but she won! However her gt. grandchildren won't let me near a bread knife, as I am a total disaster when it comes to slicing bread! 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 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.19/918 - Release Date: 25/07/2007 2:55 p.m. No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.19/918 - Release Date: 25/07/2007 2:55 p.m.

Hi, tis Caroles Mum newly home and well on the mend. It was 'Walking Day' which Carole remembers, an event that we came across for the first time when we lived for a spell in Warrington, Lancs. It was organised by the church and Sunday Schools and as she remembers entailed a whole heap of walking. Dressing up as smartly as could be managed was a given and carrying the banner dedicated to your particular church/Sunday school was done with great pride. Pity Carole was unwell because at the end there was a huge 'tea party' but all she could do was crawl into bed utterly exhausted. Made of much stronger stuff be our Carole these days though. I remember it being a very warm day so would have put the time later than Whitsun and I don't recall the weather getting that warm until closer to end of July, but my mind could be playing me tricks. We had moved on to Scotland before the next one and there were other new traditions to learn about then and other things got tucked away in the back of the mind only to resurface when some one on this list, or maybe another, gives the old cobwebs a shake. Too tired for more now but you have certainly reminded me of a few of my childhood memories of 'high days and holidays' where the 'anticipation and looking forward too' were as big as the event itself. Ann (W) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carole" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 11:31 AM Subject: Re: [BAN] Whit and other memories. > Hi Muriel, > > I have been pondering the white dress parade a little more, and the phrase > "Walking Day" comes to mind. Has the parade ever been referred to or > known > as Walking Day? I cannot remember what time of year it was, but as I was > in > a white sleeveless dress my mother had made, it must have been a warmer > season. I half remember carrying a white Prayer Book that my grandmother > had > given me, too. > > I remember going on other parades with the Girl Guides and Brownies, but I > think that was more for Remembrance Day and Thinking Day. It seems to me > that Parades were a great thing back then, much planning and rehearsal > especially if elected to be flag bearer. > > Now, sadly, it seems that parades are more likely to be protest marches > about some thing or another, but I remember as a young person how proud I > was in parades and when I was in the Flag Part....Wow! What an honour! > > Carole > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of pollyp > Sent: Sunday, 29 July 2007 10:47 a.m. > To: ENG-BANBURY-AREA > Subject: Re: [BAN] Whit and other memories. > > Hi fellow Listers, > Good that more are joining in with memories of the processions and > marches that they were involved in when young. > Rhoda, you were so right about a general falling off in smartness in > the > participants of so many events. My sister and I belonged to the Girls' > Life > Brigade, and were turned out very smartly for Church Parades and > anything else that came up. I remember lining the route when Princess > Elizabeth visited Coventry, to open the new Broadgate in1948. She wore > a lime green fullskirted coat with a peplum effect. Nicely concealing as > it > was soon announced that she was expecting a child, (Prince Charles) > and a refreshing contrast in colour and style from the austerity we were > used to. > With coupons and shortages we still seemed to managea smart turnout. > During the war itself full GLB. uniform was excused and the light blue PT. > uniform dress, worn with white ankle socks, and a beret, was acceptable. > How > > proud I was when my mother bought me the full uniform dress of navy blue, > which was worn with black silk stockings. I rather fancied myself in > those, > having a neat pair of ankles in those days! > It is a shame that general smartness and pride in appearance seems to > have slipped so badly. In contrast our local newspapers show photographs > of > the rapidly dwindling war veterans, at the open-air, (and often dawn), > services > on Remembrance Day and Anzac Day. Most setting an example in their > marching, and others limping valiently along. All are smartly turned out, > wearing > their medals with pride---and occasionally there is a young boy marching > in > place of his deceased grandfather or gt.grandfather, and displaying his > medals. > As to the wearing of white at Whitsun, obviously this tradition was > more > strongly observeved in some areas than others. My guess is that it was > perpetuated most strongly in the North and perhaps the Midlands. Carole's > description would be of a Whit Sunday procession. > Thinking about it the other day, I mused on the dressing up for the > Whitsun > Parades at the turn of the 19th century. So many people on the borders of > poverty, and yet they wore these lovely white dresses! That is the case of > young Florrie Lucas, whose family were near the poverty line, and yet she > had > the most gorgeous outfit---an intricately decorated dress and a veil. Of > course > grandma was a trained tailoress and dressmaker and probably could achieve > miracles with scraps and offcuts from the street markets. Grandma's > eyesight > had been ruined when sewing by candlelight so I only saw the faint echoes > of > her talent, as a little girl in the 1930s.(If anyone is interested in what > little Florrie > wore, I am happy to send a photo offlist). > Many of these old customs seem to have fizzled out or become pale > watered-down apologies of themselves. It is perhaps a reflection of our > times, > with the emphasis being based on a wider community. Old values have been > replaced---some, unfortunately, others for the better! With communities > not > being so tightly adhesive people are not so concerned with pride, and > keeping > up appearances. > My paternal grandmother was a good example of a "proud" woman---with > neat appearance, fabulous colouring and complexion and guardsman > deportment. Her bread and butter was cut so thin that it was almost > transparent. > She had been in service and liked things nice! I am betting that in her > early > married life to George she had a struggle to keep up her standards---but > she > won! However her gt. grandchildren won't let me near a bread knife, as I > am > a total disaster when it comes to slicing bread! > 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 > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.19/918 - Release Date: > 25/07/2007 > 2:55 p.m. > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.19/918 - Release Date: > 25/07/2007 > 2:55 p.m. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > 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 > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.11.2/933 - Release Date: 8/2/2007 > 2:22 PM > >