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Silence please!
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The Parish Audit is alive and well! Although it is some time since the scheme was explained to church members, it has taken a while to work through almost 150 interviews with most electoral roll members and regular worshippers, each lasting between one and two hours. Both interviewers and interviewees have, in the main, found it a worthwhile experience and it has done much to bring people closer together.
The results are now being collated and small groups of interested parties are meeting during July and August to examine the findings and look for indicators of the way we should be moving forward. When these have been put to the churchwardens and the PCC in September/October, we shall be coming back to you and looking for help to achieve our goals.
So be prepared!
Alison Meredith
Open Gardens
Seventeen gardens opened to the public again this year in Austrey’s annual Open Gardens event on the 11th/12th July. The weather was reasonably kind to us and after a somewhat uncertain start on Saturday, we had an excellent turnout on Sunday with over 200 visitors enjoying the sunshine and beautiful gardens. St Nicholas Church was open for the two days and had a variety of activities and attractions, from the wonderful floral displays and art exhibition from our local Art Group, to a variety of live music played throughout the weekend. The Baptist Church also opened for the occasion, with a floral display and face painting for the children and there were several places open for refreshments from the traditional ‘Pimms on the Lawn’ and barbecue at Mac & Sue Collins, strawberries & cream at Chris Moss’s to tea and cakes in the Vicarage and at the Neate’s in Warton Lane. Various other attractions from tombola to bric-a-brac and plant stalls helped to raise additional funds and provide added interest for visitors.
As a result of everyone’s hard work and dedications we were able to raise £1,905. As this is a joint village event supported by many people and organisation in the community, the funds have been split between the Church restoration fund, with a proportion of the total going to the Baptist Church and to the Village Hall.
The awards for Best Garden went to:
First Prize Judith & Brian Vertigen
Second Prize Doreen & Peter Bird
Third Prize Penny & Barrie Rees
And in the Hanging Basket Competition, the awards went to:
First Prize Pat Chapman
Second Prize Mr & Mrs Rouse
Third Prize Mac & Sue Collins
Highly Commended certificates were awarded to Barbara Tomkins and Frances
Jones.
Pictures and more information is on the Austrey website at www.austrey.co.uk
The awards just keep on coming!
Following our win in the Calor Competition as Best Warwickshire Village last year, Austrey has also won the award from the Warwickshire Rural Community Council.
Austrey won in two categories: named as Best Communications and Best for Business in the Community and then also won the overall Best Village award, beating 40 other villages to the accolade. The trophy and certificate are currently on display in the Village Store and the village will also be able to display the statue of the “Bear & Ragged Staff” for one year. The prize also includes £400 for the village, making over £1,000 that Austrey has won in such awards in the last year!
Down on the farm
Edith and I attended the (last) Royal Show, almost a fortnight ago, rather sad really. We had hoped that this one would go off with a bang, but you’ve guessed it, it was only a damp squib! There were some bright bits like the Wartonians dressed up as scarecrows who did a marvellous job explaining the real countryside to the 6,500 thousand visiting children in the education area and how many heard Tamsin’s excellent explanation on CWR?
But don’t write off the Royal, shows of some sort will still happen there, and will grow again. Agriculture is still one of our biggest industries, and we have a considerable role to play in saving imports in both money and food mile terms; many of us believe that we could do more.
Talking of CWR, I wanted to talk to them about Polesworth 2050 (more on that maybe another day) but then got collared to talk about the farm; I don’t know whether that went out!
There was a good show of beef cattle, but few Holsteins; the Food Hall was very poor, and the flower show even worse. We stopped for a drink of tea and cake in the Rank Centre, the Christian rural support centre for the country, always a haven of peace, where a lot of practical work goes on under the Rev. Gordon Gatward.
But to return to the farm, whilst we made some good horse haylage at the end of May, we now have a lot of grass waiting for a dry spell to be cut for silage for next Winter’s cattle feed. The heifers are thriving well, another 19 returned home to Twycross this week, most being very close to calving. We expect to get more sent to us by autumn form the other owners. Well, harvest approaches, the sun will shine, wont it?
Robert Critchley
In modern times Harvest Festivals are usually held on or near the Sunday of the Harvest Moon, the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumn Equinox, around the 23rd September. This usually happens in September but in some years as late as October.
In mediæval times, however, Harvest Festival used to be celebrated at the beginning of the harvest season, which started on August 1st and was called “Lammas”, meaning “Loaf Mass”. Farmers made loaves of bread from the new wheat crop and gave them to their local church. They were then used as communion bread during a special mass thanking God for the harvest. This custom ended when Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church but other traditions survived. At the start of the harvest, communities would appoint a strong and respected man of the village as “Lord of the Harvest|”. It was his job to negotiate wages and organise the field workers. At the harvest supper, celebrating the end of the harvest and traditionally held on Michaelmas Day (September 29th), he would sit at the head of the table and preside over the feast, often a goose stuffed with apples and served with a variety of vegetables.
The tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches as we know it today began in 1843, when Revd Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special service of thanksgiving at his church in Morwenstow in Cornwall. Some of the well known harvest hymns (We plough the fields and scatter, Come ye thankful people come, All things bright and beautiful) originate from this period.
For countless centuries, in many parts of England and across Europe, as the harvest drew to a close, “corn dollies” would be plaited and woven from the stalks of wheat. In pagan times people believed that the cornfield was inhabited by a spirit which gave it life and helped the corn to grow, but which could be rendered homeless and die once the corn was harvested. A corn dolly would therefore be woven from the last sheaf of corn cut, to provide a resting-place for the spirit and keep it alive until the planting of the next season’s crop. In some places it would be ploughed into the first furrow of the new season, to ensure continuity of the harvest. The shapes woven from the straw are many and varied – bells, hearts, rings, lanterns, knots, horseshoes, spirals, crowns, fans are but a few – and many are associated with particular regions. Sometimes the form is actually that of a human figure, generally female, possibly representing Mother Earth or the goddess of fertility. Indeed some think that the word “dolly” is a corruption of “idol” or have come from the Greek “eidolon”, meaning “that which represents something else”.
Today, for some people, the making of corn dollies has become an attractive and absorbing pastime but, as is often the case, there is far more to it than at first appears.
Alison Meredith
JC Way
This year has almost been the start of a new era for JC Way. Last September a lot of our older members headed off to University and so we were left with reduced numbers of people attending. However, we had foreseen this happening and so had been on a recruiting drive in the Parish Schools the previous summer term. Due to these visits to the local schools and some of the younger members being very active in persuading their friends to come, we have seen many new faces in Newton Village Hall. However, not all these new faces have been children. This past year we have gained many new adults helping out on the Wednesday evening and I think a thanks should go out to all those who have taken time out to help take care of us (which I admit is not always the easiest task).
As we gained so many new younger members who knew very little about God or Jesus we decided to do an Alpha Course in the spring term. This took a bit of thinking about as we needed to try and make sure the material in the course did not just go straight over the younger kids heads whilst still being useful to us older ones too. The answer was to get us “oldies” to do some of the teaching. We each did a session and did one or two together. Personally, I found this a great idea; I was able to immerse myself in the Bible and look deeper into the session I was preparing, whilst also making it completely understandable for the younger kids. At the end of the Alpha course we had a brilliant sit down meal together. As people who know me have found out, I have a great passion for food, and I must say that the lasagne served at that ‘end of Alpha meal’ was superb!
However, this year has not all been about the younger members of JC Way. Recently, we have been splitting into two groups for our Bible study. One group made up of all the younger members, taken by my mum (Sally), and another group made up of us older ones. In our separate sessions we have had a chance to delve a lot deeper into God’s word and discuss in depth difficult topics which can help us to live our lives for God every day. We have watched a few short DVD clips by a company called Nooma. These clips raised difficult and often uncomfortable issues surrounding our faith and the world we live in. After each clip we would then discuss what we had heard as a group and look to the Bible for guidance. I have found these sessions to be of great use in day to day life to help tackle those awkward questions that people throw at you and I would greatly recommend the Nooma DVD’s.
As well as doing an Alpha course and splitting up in to separate groups for teaching, we have been to Alton Towers, we have run for charity, been to a youth event in Birmingham called Re-United, eaten enough popcorn to sink several large battleships, watched some DVD’s, played an unhealthy amount of Table Tennis, thought up many crazy and often very competitive games and of course had fun! We have now broken up for the summer but many of us are heading down to Shepton Mallet for Soul Survivor in August which promises to be faith inspiring and brilliant fun as always. We start again the first school week in September (Wed 9th) and are looking forward to another year of inspiring talks and childish games.
Finally, I think a thanks should go out to all those who have taken time to help at JC Way over the past year. Trying to keep track of 10-20 teenagers is always a difficult task and we greatly appreciate the time you have given.
Sally Parkes
see the JCway web-site via the link link on the home page.
LIVE MUSIC IN CHURCH
Our weekend was opened by Dan Darwin on Saturday with beautiful instrumentals, and new worship songs, and was, as always superb. Rob Cooke followed with another instrumental and vocal set, in a completely different vein of pop, rock and even a touch of “classical gas”, this young man is a brilliant musician, pity he keeps it so quiet!!
Veronica, Joe and James followed performing worship songs and tunes from “New Wine” ending with “Danny Boy” dedicated to her wonderful father and brother.
Both Alison Meredith and Lorna very kindly filled spots on the church organ, this afternoon, that was with their other pair of hands. The other hands were washing up, and serving teas for the rest of the weekend, so thanks for that too. Must just mention Keith here, he to was rushing about getting tea’s for folk, he even served tea and cake to Lorna whilst she was playing the church organ. Oops sorry Stephen you weren’t supposed to know about the “cake on the keys” or should that be the “Kitten on the keys”!!!!
Anyway back to the music I must admit that although Heather and I had not had time to practise, the spot we filled sounded pretty good, even though I was in charge of sound as well (our brilliant sound man James was called away) so it was with some trepidation that I twiddled the knobs at the back of the church!! It’s a bit frightening all those buttons etc and don’t plug this in,until you have plugged that in, and make sure that you don’t turn that off, until you have switched this on!! Ohhh dear so glad I don’t do that all the time!!!!
Saturday over and time to reflect, on a rather damp day but the sun did seem to shine whenever a new musician took the stage, perhaps there is something in that.
Sunday dawned much brighter, so with new enthusiasm we opened the doors again in the hope of a much better day.
Only last week I had the good fortune to come across a friend whom I had known a few years ago from around the folk club scene, on the off chance I mentioned our music in church, and he and his family very kindly came and gave us the most fantastic set, on fiddle and keyboards, playing Scottish jigs, right through to classical, so a very big thank you to Mark.
Our very own sound man James Banks, had then offered to do a spot, and to our surprise sat down at his own keyboard and began to play (I didn’t know he played) but wow!!! What a sound ………this young man will definitely go far, and when we (that’s Heather and I) stepped up to the mike again, with Joe and Veronica, James joined in too on keyboard and vocals, what a great set that was…totally ad lib we really raised the roof and even had applause from an audience.
Once again our very good friend Andrew Chapman, made our church organ sing. Performing light classical with an element of fun,
Sadly the afternoon was rushing on, but not before we had a truly amazing set from Daisy, performing Do Re Mi, with Alison W, and Jade gave us a” Lord of the Dance. Daisy Jade and Alison performed “ My Heart will go on “ from The Titanic, and Oliver dueted with Alison W “Unchained Melody on saxophone, These young people are truly amazing, what talent, and of course all credit must go to Alison W a really great set .I must just add that during Oliver’s Unchained Melody I noticed Gina and John having a little dance in the aisle… How good is that!! Well-done Gina!
Our final set to complete the weekend was, “The sound of Taize”, led once again by Alison W, James W, John and Gina Larkin, Heather and myself. The sound was amazing and the feeling was amazing, we were so close to god! It was great.
I would like to thank the ladies who prepared all the beautiful flowers and the Art group for a brilliant display, and of course all our musicians for a most wonderful, eclectic mix of music over the whole weekend. Lets hope it won’t be too long before we can do it all over again.
Trish Richardson
We had a glorious afternoon in Seckington at the end of May. Anne and Ray’s “Gardeners’ Delight” was once again an overwhelming success. Anyone who has not visited ‘Hillview’, please try to make it next year. Find time to sit in their lovely garden, enjoy their view, their hospitality and chat to old and new friends. After the visitors had left, helpers who stayed on to clear up were treated to a supper of sandwiches, salads, pies, cakes and wine.
The money raised for All saints’ Church was over £1,000 – what a bonus!
Ann Fawcett
Warton Carnival was again blessed with a fine if rather breezy day and crowds thronged the streets to cheer the colourful procession of floats and fancy dress walkers, headed by the popular Shirley Pipe & Drum Band, resplendent in their kilts. On the recreation ground there was lots to do and see: a variety of stalls and games, fairground rides, bouncy castle and plenty of refreshments, while in the arena spectators were entertained by dancers and musicians, the star attraction this year being the “Majorwrecks”, an all-male band of majorettes, who had travelled all the way from Devizes to delight the crowd with their antics. Thanks again to the “faithful few” who put in so much hard work: good causes in the village will be grateful for their efforts.
Newton Regis held its annual “Flowers & Gardens” event the same weekend and also benefited from the fine weather. There was a steady stream of visitors strolling through the village to admire the varied and delightful gardens on display. Inside the church Kath and her talented team had excelled themselves once again, with breath-taking floral displays and exciting colour combinations. It was just a short step to the Church Hall to partake of the excellent refreshments and round off a pleasant afternoon. Over £2,500 was raised towards the repair of the Lych Gate – many thanks to all concerned.
No English summer is complete without a game of cricket and on a sunny Saturday afternoon in July a team drawn from the Parish of All Souls took up a challenge from the Tamworth churches and met to test their cricketing skills on the playing field at Newton Regis. All Souls batted first and knocked up a very respectable 119 for 9 off 20 overs. Tamworth came in and batted confidently. Despite some excellent bowling and fielding by All Souls (and not helped, it must be said, by an unfortunate collision between the captain of All Souls and one of their star players!), Tamworth just managed to snatch victory, scoring 120 for 6 off 19 overs. So there was plenty to keep the spectators’ interest both on the field and in the hall, where volunteers manned several stalls – tombola, raffle, books, plants, jewellery and Mothers’ Union stall. Cream teas, strawberries, cake and ice cream, tea, coffee and squash were also available and as well as providing relaxation and entertainment, the afternoon raised almost £400 for Christian Aid. Thanks go to Janet Hawkins and her team of helpers.
A record number of people converged on Willows Farm, Warton for this popular annual event. For once, the weather was kind and most folk lingered in the garden until dusk fell, chatting and sipping wine, eating delicious strawberries and patronising the various games and stalls which included bring and buy, raffle, gin palace, balls in buckets, shove ha’penny and ‘play your cards right’. Laura Pennycuick brought us up to date with progress on the new In-Patient unit currently being built on the Whittington site, reminding us all of the very worthy cause we were contributing to. Needless to say, the organisers were delighted with a record profit of over £900.
Alison Meredith
Walk from Tamworth to Shuttington
Penny and I decided we would walk from Shuttington to Tamworth and return by bus. Then we thought that we did not know exactly how long it would take, and we were bound to just miss a bus, which only ran at hourly intervals. We therefore took the bus into Tamworth and walked back. We caught the 2.00am bus from Shuttington and got back to the same place in exactly two hours.
1. From the bus stop outside Tamworth railway station, cross the road towards the station and then cross the entrance to the station car park towards the Jehovah Witness’s church (Kingdom Hall). Turn left under the railway which runs north-south.
2. Enter a site of ‘static homes’ and see a footpath sign high on a post. Turn left and shortly right alongside the east-west railway. Mind the dog droppings! The path takes you under the railway alongside the river.
3. Into an open arable field. There was a path cleared through a crop of wheat. Pass between two mature oak trees and head towards a brick arch amongst trees.
4. We walked through the arch out of curiosity. Was it the remains of a railway track which bypassed Tamworth station? Judging by all the rubbish it is now used by all the homeless of the district. The path carries straight on and is clear until it runs along the field edge. The map shows a straight path, but we found it wandered in and out with the indeterminate field edge. Follow the field edge to a stile through a hedge. We found no ‘Way Markers’ to guide us.
5. The very over grown path eventually emerges over a bank with a good view of the River Anker to the right and a white house straight ahead: ‘Ling Cottage’. Do not be tempted to drop down to the river and follow fishermen’s paths. Head towards Ling Cottage until the path divides and head to the right towards Amington Hall Farm. There was a path cleared through wheat which took us to a stile through a hedge.
6. The path became fairly obvious over short cropped pasture and stiles easy to see, although still no ‘Way Markers’. Onto a tarmac farm road, passing the ‘conversions’ of Amington Hall Farm on your left.
7. Past the farm and see the first footpath signs. Follow the left pointer along the farm road until you encounter a crossing of paths. Over a stile and keep straight ahead. Follow the field edge with the hedge to your right. Eventually come to another stile.
8. Over stile into open pasture. Straight ahead with fence to left. Through what was once an orchard to a double stile. Over stile and bear right down to edge of lake and follow fisher-men’s path to another stile and the end of Laundry Lane.
9.
Cross Laundry Lane and through metal ‘kissing gate’
into a large open pasture. You are now back into Warwickshire and kissing gates
have replaced stiles and way markers are posts with bright yellow tops. Head
for next yellow post and cross foot-bridge. Bear to the right to next post and
gate and from there a fourth post can be seen in the distance which leads back
into Shuttington.
Mike Smith
Money matters! Doesn’t it just! Especially in the present financial climate, with redundancies and reduced working hours, lower interest rates on savings, rising fuel and mortgage costs. Everyone is feeling the pinch and looking for ways of getting the best value from their disposable income.
The Parish of All Souls is no different, with considerable financial obligations to be met. When the 5 churches were legally united 2 years ago, we took the bold decision to create not only a single PCC but also to pool our funds and pay all the running costs of the parish – buildings’ insurance, electricity, water services, printing costs, vicar’s phone and travelling expenses – from a central account. Yes, the vicar’s stipend and cost of running the vicarage are paid by the Birmingham Diocese (which, by the way, has its own severe financial problems at present) but we are expected to contribute through our Common Fund payment, which this year is set at just over £35,000. We also pay a proportion of funeral and wedding fees to the Diocese.
That does not take into account money needed for the repair and maintenance of each of our churches, funds which are kept in separate accounts administered by individual church treasurers and audited jointly as part of the All Souls accounts. Apparently it is necessary to keep these individual fabric/restoration funds in order to satisfy the regulations when applying for grants from bodies such as English Heritage. Austrey Church has just been awarded a grant of £92,000 to help with the repair of the chancel roof (likely to cost at least £150,000) and Seckington too has some roof repairs in need of attention. Newton Regis is still raising money to repair the Lych Gate. Each church can, and does, organise its own fundraising events to help with repair and restoration projects and of course any donations or bequests made to a specific church are paid into that church’s own account.
All weekly offerings and collections, however, go to All Souls. Even so, the amount raised is nowhere near enough to meet our expenditure. So, how can we ensure that we make the most of what we receive? Firstly, it is important that people recognise the need for regular giving (rather than just putting something in the collection when they attend worship), either by setting up a standing order or joining the envelope scheme. But by far the most effective way of enabling us to increase our income, at no extra cost and very little effort, is through the Gift Aid scheme. To qualify, you have to be a UK taxpayer, which allows us to reclaim an extra 25p for each £1 donated. All you have to do is give your name and address and sign a declaration that you are a UK taxpayer – no further information is needed. So if you are eligible and haven’t already done so, please consider joining the scheme. You can get details from your own church treasurer, who will be happy to give you the appropriate form. For occasional donations we plan to have envelopes (and pens!) available in each of our churches.
Although it is by no means our overriding concern, you can see that money has to matter to us if we are to survive and continue to serve our communities. Any help you can give will be much appreciated.
Church Treasurers:
Austrey - Trish Richardson Tel: 01827 66282
Newton Regis - Margaret Williams Tel: 01827 830603
Seckington - Annabel Arnold Tel: 01827 830256
Shuttington - Mike Smith Tel: 01827 894719
Warton - Kitty Swinnerton Tel: 01827 892402
By next year we hope that all Gift Aid payments will be made centrally to All Souls, rather than through the individual church treasurers, but we need to find someone willing and able to take on this combined task.
OPEN-CAST COAL MINING
Shuttington and Alvecote are on the northern edge of what used to be called the “North Warwickshire Coalfield”. The spoil heap at Alvecote is now nothing more than a green mound alongside the canal. It was the first spoil heap in Warwickshire to be made safe after the Aberfan disaster in 1966, when a spoil heap in Wales became a mud slide which engulfed a school full of children.
Only fifty years ago coal was the main domestic and industrial fuel, and particularly just after the Second World War it was imperative to maintain a good supply and as cheaply as possible. Britain was even exporting coal in those days, the country was broke after the war and needed to earn money where-ever it could.
Coal was just under the surface near Shuttington, and in the 1950s it was convenient to take that coal quickly. There were two open-cast sites, one below the church and the other at the back of “The Wolferstan Arms”.
The photograph shows the workings below Shuttington in the 1950s. Although the site is a very small one, it does illustrate what open-casting is all about: shifting vast amounts of soil from one place to another to expose the seams of coal. It is a perpetual process of huge noisy machines digging, transporting, tipping and levelling millions of tons of soil and rock, day after week after month after year.
If open-cast mining came back to Shuttington, the 1950s workings in comparison would be insignificant. The new hole would go as deep as the old tunnels that ran from the colliery at Alvecote. It would be like stepping back into the time when dirt, dust and grime were part of every-day life. It would be an admission that the technology to heat our homes and provide energy for industry has advanced little over the past half century.
Today the area benefits from the old mucky industrial workings. The extensive system of shallow pools around Alvecote, which are so attractive to birds, fishermen and walkers, are due to subsidence, the Pooley Heritage Site, once laid waste around the colliery head, is a marvellous walking area and the old spoil heap there is gradually being colonised by trees and provides a superb view point.
Open-casting does not even offer the hope of better things in the future. Rather than a hole after coal extraction, there is more of a heap, because the replaced soil is not so compact. There will just be a poorer quality farm land, with no trees of course for seventy years or so!
Mike Smith
BANANA AND HONEY TEABREAD
This recipe should be particularly ‘healthy’. It is taken from the “British Heart Foundation” booklet which works on the principal that food should be both healthy and fun. This tea-bread is certainly good to eat and easy to make. If you work in ounces, then the quantities are all in 2s, 4s or 8s! If you work in grams there are 110 to 4oz.
4oz Margarine (most healthy if it is unsaturated)
4oz light sof brown sugar
4oz set honey
2 eggs, beaten
8oz self raising flour (white or wholemeal)
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
2 large bananas
Squeeze of lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas mark 4. Lightly grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
2. Beat together margarine, sugar and honey until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually mix in eggs then fold in flour and nutmeg or cinnamon.
4. Mash flesh of bananas with lemon juice. Fold into tea-bread mix.
5. Spoon mixture into tin and level surface.
6. Bake for 1 hour and sometimes a little more. Good idea to cover with foil towards end of cooking to prevent the top over browning.
7. Cool a little in tin before turning out. Serve hot or cold.
Mike Smith
During the beginning of 2007, following positive feedback from a local consultation, it was established that there was sufficient support for the regeneration of the former allotment site at Waverton Avenue, Warton.
The first open meeting was held on 26th July 2007, when interested parties met with Davina Key and Zoe Davies, staff from NWBC, to discuss the project. Following the meeting, a questionnaire was sent around the village to ascertain what support there would be. The result of the questionnaire was overwhelmingly in favour.
A formally constituted committee was elected to run the Allotment Association and began drawing up initial proposals for the development of the site. These were to a) provide allotments b) provide a wildlife area and c) to explore opportunities and bids for external grant aid. It was also agreed to maximise the value to the Borough Council by offering help from volunteers and business contractors from Warton.
An Open Day was held on Saturday 12th July 2008 at the Parish Rooms, to display information and for any questions to be answered by either Allotment Committee members and/or staff from NWBC.
It has been a very long process, but at the beginning of 2009 things eventually began to move; the allotment site was cleared with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers, who spent many Saturdays clearing all types of rubbish from the area. The site was then ploughed and the pond cleaned, thanks to Colin Swinnerton. A fence was erected around two sides of the plot and indigenous hedging was planted around the other two sides. A car park and the available plots were laid out. Finally, people from the village were able to begin planting.
Allotment holders are now beginning to see the fruits of their labours, with lettuce, radishes, broad and runner beans ready for picking and eating.
To come right up to date, we have just learned that the Warton Allotment Association has been awarded second prize of £75 in the Warwickshire Rural Community Council’s Competition “Warwickshire Village for Community Projects”.
We are pleased that this area is once more being used by the community and is flourishing again as an allotment site. The wildlife part of the project has been put on hold for the time being but hopefully will be back on the agenda in the very near future.
The committee would like to thank all those who spent time and effort getting the area cleared: working through the cold and wet in order to clear the site was indeed very hard work.
Alf Webber
Edward Rudolf, founder of the Children’s Society, was born on 14th April 1852 in Lambeth, London. His early years were not easy and he became the family’s main wage earner in his early teens, working as an office boy in a Blackfriars business. Unable to finish his schooling, he spent his spare time and money teaching himself French, German, natural philosophy and mechanics. In 1871 he passed the Civil Service’s first open examinations and obtained a post in the Office of Works. Later he became private secretary to the First Commissioner G.J. Shaw-Lefevre (later Lord Eversley) and his successor, Lord Rosebery.
Along with his job he was a Sunday School teacher and saw the brutal effects of poverty on the lives of children. When two young boys failed to turn up for his Sunday School, he went to look for them. He was shocked to find them begging for food on the streets. Their father had died, leaving mother to struggle bringing up seven children under eleven years old. He resolved to take some action.
Edward Rudolf did not like the idea of children going into workhouses: they were regarded with fear and distrust and many of the population who found themselves there bore the stigma. It was an unnatural, artificial society in which children might be removed from any family they had, causing problems in later life.
Rudolf’s vision was to give, poor, homeless children a loving and secure family environment by setting up small family groups or cottage homes, each with around ten children, aged between five and fourteen, with a master and matron to act as parents. He approached Archbishop Tait, who gave his enthusiastic support, and the first Church of England Central Home for Waifs and Strays was opened in Dulwich, South London, in 1882. It was very successful, vindicating Rudolf’s views, and by 1919 there were 113 homes opened throughout England and Wales, supported by parishes and individuals across the land. This movement towards providing a new style of home for destitute children played its part in highlighting awareness of child poverty and contributed towards a more enlightened society. Many factors caused children to enter the Children’s Society homes, including sheer poverty, family breakdown or dysfunction. Runaways and children in trouble with the law were well represented.
The first residential nurseries for babies and young children opened after the First World War. By the late 1950s the number had grown to thirty-three. The Society was at the forefront of the training of nursery nurses and many of its homes became centres for teaching and practice.
In 1935 the Society became a registered and flourishing adoption agency, with some 10,068 children placed for adoption between 1960 and 1980. It undertook an extensive programme to home evacuees or children made homeless by the hostilities in the Second World War and some 6788 children were housed in 127 War Nurseries. Other homes provided training for a trade and the Society was also involved in the care of young people with disabilities.
Inevitably, social attitudes have changed considerably from those existing when Edward Rudolf founded the Children’s Society in 1881. By the last quarter of the 20th Century abortion had become legalised, contraception was widely available and there was more support for lone parents. In response, the Children’s Society made two major changes: it closed many of its homes, replacing them with family and day-care centres and it moved away from adoption and fostering in order to focus on helping young people solve their own problems.
The relationship with the Church of England remains central to the work of the Society, with the Archbishops of Canterbury and York as its presidents and nearly all of the Diocesan Bishops as Vice-Presidents. Here in the Parish of All Souls we support the Children’s Society through collections at the Christingle Services and many individuals have collecting boxes at home into which they put their loose change. If you would like more information or are interested in helping the Children’s Society, please contact our Parish Representative April Podmore (Tel: 01827 899934)
Jean McGarrol
