It’s that time of year again when advertisements on the television paint a wonderful picture of Christmas Past, complete with carol singing, snow and church services. So, I have looked at our local newspapers to see how Fletton, and local parishes, celebrated Christmas between 1910 and 1914 as war loomed on the horizon, and hostilities began.
Just as today the build up to Christmas wouldn’t be complete without Christmas Bazaars. It was reported in the Hunts County News on Friday 8th December 1911, that on Wednesday 6th December the London Road Wesleyan Church held a two-day bazaar. Its purpose was to raise funds for the repayment of the building loan. The church presented an ‘animated and picturesque scene’, the lady stallholders wore the Welsh, Scottish and Irish national dress, whilst the young men wore the English dress. The Mayor of Peterborough, Mr. T. C. Lamplugh, opened the event, The Rev W. J. Weare announced a hymn, the Rev E. Douglas Jackson offered a prayer and Major Herbert delivered a speech. In attendance was also Mr. H. Wootton, blog 12. The total proceeds over the two days were £94 7s 2d which was a record.
It was a busy few days as on Thursday 7th December the George Street Baptist Church held its sale of works, many of which would make superb Christmas gifts. There was a tempting display of goods on offer including plain needlework, fancy needlework, cakes, cookery, sweets, and men’s fancy goods. There were also entertainments in the evening. Mr. Colman thanked the mayor for opening the sale, and Mr. H. B. Hartley, blogs 17 and 34, gave a half hour talk on ‘Some Well-known Poems.‘ The sale had a four-fold purpose: to raise funds for the Chapel extension, the Sunday School Fund, the Baptist Missionary Society and the general Church Fund. £40 was raised.
Then, as now, festive food is always in great demand. On Friday 22nd December, it was reported in the Hunts County News that on the previous Sunday the Fletton P. S. A. (Pleasant Sunday Afternoon) group had held its meeting, and Mr E. Dickinson, manager of the L.B.C. brickyard had presided. An appeal was presented to the group from the Peterborough tradesmen. They wanted each individual to contribute a mince pie the following Sunday to be presented to the old people in the Workhouse. It was therefore decided that the next Sunday would be ‘Mince Pie Sunday’.
Today we often blame our lack of snow on global warming, a modern condition. However, it was reported in the Hunts County News on Friday 19th December 1913 that in nearby Stanground a gooseberry bush could be seen in the garden of Nr. Jeremiah Brewster in full bloom! I wonder fi any fruit was forthcoming!
Of course, no festive season would be complete without football. Although the 1913/14 season was not going well for the Fletton teams. It was reported in the Peterborough Express on Wednesday 3rd December that neither Fletton United, or the Reserves, had a fixture on Saturday. Although the writer commented that as they weren’t doing very well in the Northants League the ‘enforced rest may have a good effect on the players’. In the event a match was played in Bedford, but the Fletton team were unable to field a full side and lost 8-1.
Another modern-day problem, or so we think are queues of traffic as shoppers do their Christmas shopping. But the Hunts County News on Friday 26th December 1913 reflected on the ‘crush of Christmas traffic’ at the Fletton level crossing, which led to a spate of minor accidents. One prominent citizen had ‘a bad spill’ from his bicycle as the gate shot up as he approached it. The writer commented that the goods trains were getting longer and of greater frequency resulting in a louder public outcry as queues increasingly developed. As the festive season was upon the town the bridging committee would not be meeting for some time. But the public were hopeful that improvement was imminent so were waiting ‘with good humour and resignation’.
No festive season would be complete without the annual distribution of prizes for success in the preceding year. In my last Christmas blog, number 31, I looked at school prizes. But here, less than year away from the Great War, it is appropriate to look at the Fletton Territorials. The Peterborough Standard, reported on Saturday 27th December 1913, that at the annual smoking concert there was the distribution of prizes to ‘G’ Company Bedford Regiment (Fletton Territorials). The evening took place at the Coffee Palace, blog 14, and the Commanding officer was Captain J. E. Hill, blog 29 and 30. Four members of the Company had gained the Territorial Force Efficiency Award. This required service of 12 years, and to be efficient at 12 trainings. The recipients were Col Sergt Coles, Sergt Baxter, Sergt Wyles and Corpl Coles. He then went on to present in excess of 60 other awards, to men whose names include Sismey, Ibbott, Rimes, Butler, and Draycott.
On 4th August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany, and despite promises to the contrary war was still raging as preparations for Christmas began.
The Hunts County News of Friday 18th December 1914 encouraged people to celebrate Christmas as they usually would. However patriotic gifts were encouraged. J. W. Benson Ltd of Ludgate Hill, London, had introduced several low priced, but appropriate items of jewellery. These included an ‘active service’ watch with luminous dial and hands, brooches which displayed enamelled flags of the allied countries, and the ‘perfect safety’ wristwatch.
In the same edition it was also reported that the Rector of Fletton, Rev C. Dowman had arranged for the Mission Room, on Glebe Road, to open every evening between 6 and 9pm, except Sundays, so that the billeted soldiers could meet to play games and listen to the entertainment provided.
The children of serving men were not forgotten either in that first Christmas of the war. Mrs. Cook, the wife of Major S. G. Cook of the Hunts Cyclists planned on distributing to all boys under 14 and girls under 16 whose father was on active service the good things that had been sent by the American Gift Ship. The combined efforts of Mrs. Cook and her friends meant that companies from Fletton, Farcet and Yaxley received 200 vests, a pair of warm gloves each, socks and scarves, and it was hoped that each man would also receive a Christmas pudding.
Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
Comments