Badsey (with
Aldington) and Wickhamford
Parochial Magazine
1904
JANUARY
The Badsey Choristers were entertained to tea at the Vicarage on Tuesday, December 29th. After
tea the time-honoured games of the season were solemnly proceeded with. The party would have
passed off without accident but for the fact that whereas the bran-pie proved quite
irresistible, the pie-dish proved quite the reverse and entirely collapsed beneath the weight of attention bestowed
upon it. A magic lantern exhibition by the Vicar, who showed a good many slides of his own manufacture,
brought a very pleasant evening to a close.
JUNE
When the work of restoring the Parish Church of Badsey was so successfully carried out some 18
years ago, under Mr. T. G. Jackson, no effort was spared to preserve all that was of respectable
antiquity, and to secure the exclusion of all new work that was not in conformity with the old in
material, style, and workmanship. The comparatively modern high oak pew's were very properly
removed, but it was felt that to replace them by introducing pitch-pine benches into a fine old
church like ours, after the example of not a few church-restorers, would be little short of
sacrilege. It was therefore decided to provide chairs for the accommodation of worshippers until funds
should accrue for providing solid oak benches of the good old English type. The Churchwardens
consider that the time has now come when a special effort should be made to carry into effect
the intention of the promoters of the restoration scheme, and to this end they have placed a box near
the south door of the Church to receive contributions towards defraying the expenses (about £400)
of re-seating the Church in oak.
THE BROKEN CROSS
Mr. Savory, who erected, the cross that was thrown down and broken on Sunday, May 1st, has had it repaired and re-erected. He has done so "feeling sure that the damage could only have been caused by some accident or by children in thoughtless play, and that no outrage was intended." It is quite certain that the cross could not have been blown down, but must have been pushed over, either intentionally or otherwise by some person or persons, and Mr. Savory has taken the most charitable view of the case. We can only add that, if Mr. Savory is right in his conjecture, it is a pity that those who were the cause of injury to the cross have not had the courage to come forward, and thus, perhaps, clear others who may be the objects of undeserved suspicion.
JULY
In the cricket match that was played in the afternoon, Badsey scored a victory over Bretforton, but in the tug-of-war Badsey's mighty men were unable to stand against the Railway navvies. We are pleased to be able to tell you that although our village had a regular 'day out' on the 22nd, we did not see or hear of a single case of drunkenness.
AUGUST
The Badsey children now look forward to the Flower Show year by year and probably regard
it as an institution nearly as old as Christmas. Those who know better and remember the days
when there was no Flower Show, think, perhaps with a sigh, that they are not so young as they
once were! However that may be Badsey Flower Show is invariably a bright, cheerful little festival,
and its fifteenth anniversary which occurred last July 27th was no exception to the rule. The
weather was kind on the whole, the few slight showers not proving enough to keep many people
away. The show was an excellent one, and there was keen competition in many of the classes.
Among the attractions the Pierrots from Evesham gave much amusement, and the sports and tug-of-war were watched by an interested crowd. Mr.
McNeill kindly gave away the prizes in the absence of his wife Lady Hilda McNeill.
In the evening there was a novel and most attractive form of entertainment provided, by the
Vicar, in the Vicarage garden. Dancing was allowed on the Lawn, which had been beautifully
illuminated with a number of coloured lights and Chinese lanterns. The band played under the
trees and the dancing was kept up with much spirit until eleven o'clock.
A MESSAGE FROM THE VICAR
My Dear Parishoners,
Under ordinary circumstances it would be quite impossible for me to say anything in the
Magazine about the dance on the Vicarage lawn, on the evening of July 27th, for the originating of
which I was entirely responsible. As, however, many of you have ventured to criticise freely the
imposition of a charge of threepence for admission to the Vicarage grounds, for which charge I was in
no way responsible, I feel that no apology is necessary for introducing the subject.
Some, at least, of those who read these, lines will say that I am bestowing upon a molehill the
attention due to nothing of less importance than a mountain. But even molehills have, like mountains,
been known to be instrumental in producing fatal consequences, and are therefore entitled to
a measure of respect.
The simple facts of the case, which very many have failed to grasp, are as follows :-
1. At one of their meetings I told the Flower Show Committee that, as the Little
Stockey was very rough for dancing, I would allow such of the dancers as were parishioners,
or friends of parishioners, to make use of my lawn on the day of the Show (if the ground
were not too wet) and would, at my own private expense, illuminate it.
2. I also offered to find room for the band and for a refreshment stall to be conducted on
temperance principles.
3. The Committee accepted my offer..
4. At the next Committee meeting it was decided, during my absence, to make a charge of
threepence for admission to the Vicarage Grounds, the money to go to the Flower Show funds; and
although, when I heard of this, I protested strongly against any charge for admission being
made, the Committee (scarcely, as I think, in accordance with the wishes of the majority), were not disposed
to alter their plans. The charge was therefore made. I did all that I had promised (which involved putting my
hand in my pocket a little deeper than is usual with supporters of the Flower Show), and
the Flower Show funds profited to the extent of the dancers' gate money.
The only benefit derived by me personally from the imposition of the threepenny charge lay
in the fact that my lawn suffered not at all from the saltations of the hundred and fifty or so who
came to dance, whereas it would probably have suffered considerably had the adult population of
the parish shown up in force; but this was small compensation for the absence of many of my
friends whom it would have been a pleasure to welcome to the Vicarage, and who, I am sure, had
they had fuller knowledge how matters stood, would hardly have denied me that pleasure for the
sake of an expenditure of threepence. The Committee were in a position to impart
this knowledge and were also fully aware of the misunderstanding and consequent ill-feeling abroad,
and they ought surely to have instructed their appointed spokesman to make a plain
statement of the case, in public, when the distribution of prizes gave him an opportunity of doing so.
I write this without prejudice to my right to charge admission to my grounds for any public or
charitable object, whenever it may seem to me desirable to do so. On the occasion in
question I did not think it desirable. I have often heard it said that many clergy
would say less than do from their pulpits if the 'man in the pew' had the right to reply; therefore,
to remove all suspicion that I may be making an unfair use of the Magazine, I beg to state that I
shall be happy to publish any letters on the above subject which may be addressed to me by parishioners.
In all that concerns the welfare of the parishes of Badsey and Wickhamford, believe me
to be, according to my ability,
Your servant for Christ's sake,
W. C. ALLSEBROOK.
SEPTEMBER
In the absence of entries for August the following extract from the Badsey Marriage Register
may interest our readers :-
Anno Dom : 1654 : John Snow and Elizabeth Frost: July: 24:
John and Elizabeth might have waited for a more appropriate season, Christmas for example.
Perhaps they suspected that future generations of Badseyites might sometimes be disposed to complain of
the unseasonableness of the weather, so they determined to leave on record the fact that,
during the Commonwealth, at any rate, Frost and Snow were known to penetrate into the Church in
the middle of summer. Evidently even the weather in those days caught something of the
severity of Puritan rule.
OCTOBER
The long talked-of trip has at last taken place, and the choir, both men and boys, have been to
Weston-super-Mare. The weather on September 1st, the day selected, was perfect, and other circumstances
contributed to make the outing thoroughly enjoyable. In order that the younger members of the party might arrive at Weston
with energies unimpaired for partaking in the delights afforded by the sea-side, Mr. John Crane
very generously drove the choristers to Evesham station, and the railway journey was rendered exceptionally
comfortable through the courtesy of the Midland Railway Company, who reserved three roomy compartments for the accommodation
of the party. The forenoon was spent on the shore, most of the Badseyites indulging in a dip
in the briny. At one o'clock all sat down to a good dinner at Huntley's Beach Restaurant, and
rose from the tables with renewed vigour for the serious work of 'doing' Weston during the afternoon.
The boys found much to amuse them on the Old Pier, which is well supplied with such
shows as we are accustomed to associate with the Stockey on Club Day. All assembled at
Huntey's at 5.30 for tea, and then dispersed in three or four sections to make the best of the evening.
The usual Niggers and Pierrots provided the usual entertainment on the shore, and an excellent
string-band performed in the Concert Room on the New Pier; but perhaps the most fortunate members
of the Badsey party were those who found their way to Grove Park, which was beautifully
illuminated, and where the Military Band provided a first-class programme. At the close
of the concert Messrs. Brock, of Crystal Palace fame, gave one of their unrivalled firework displays,
concluding with a realistic representation of the siege of Port Arthur. A move was made from
Weston at 10.40 p.m., all arriving in Evesham at 1 a.m., as fresh as paint, and the one item necessary
to make the success of the day's outing complete was supplied by Mr. Cull who, with his customary
generosity, provided two conveyances to take the choristers home to Badsey. The party included, in addition to the men
and boys of the choir, Mrs. Hands, Mrs. Warner, Mrs. J. Agg, the Vicar, Mr.
Binyon and Mr. W. Cull, and thanks are particularly due to Mr. Binyon, who gave himself considerable trouble in helping
the boys to make the best of their day by the sea.
PARISH LIBRARY
It is proposed to re-open the Parish Library which has been closed for some years pending the
rise of a generation unacquainted with the interesting contents of the 500 volumes of which it consist.
It will be open at the Vicarage on Mondays, during winter, from 5.30 to 6.0,
commencing on December 10th. Subscription 1d. per month. Librarian, Miss Hands.