Glemsford

One of the really gratifying aspects of maintaining this web site is they way, almost accidentally, it acquires more "illustrations" of how the village used to be.

Here is another story from George's childhood that tells us much, in a very short time, about life in the village nearly 100 years ago.
It would be interesting to know to which of Glemsford's blacksmiths the story refers.

The Hoop

I was about five years old and it was the hoop playing season, most of my friends had hoops but I had not got one. So I wandered off following my nose which took me to a rubbish tip, surely there must be one there, and to my great surprise there was: true, it was bent and battered and hopelessly out of shape - but it was a hoop.

I took it and made my way home, on the way I passed the blacksmith's shop, and as usual stood and looked in, I didn`t connect the blacksmith with hoops and wondered what he wanted when he came across and without speaking took the hoop out of my hand. The blacksmith took it to his anvil and in no time at all with a few blows of his hammer it was as good as new and as he walked towards me I wondered what to do, as I knew money was involved in that sort of thing, and I hadn't any. But by the smile on his face as he handed it to me I knew all was well and he said, "There you are, that's as good as new boy, off you go and play with it."

I hadn't had the hoop more than a few days when I left it leant against a telegraph pole and had gone home without it. When I reached home I remembered it and it was at the other end of the village and it was getting dark. I told my mother that I wanted to go for it, she was reluctant to let me go in the dark, I pleaded and promised to run all the way so she let me go.

I did run all the way there but not coming back, because my hoop wasn't there - someone had taken it. I went several times to that telegraph post over the next few days but I never saw my hoop again.

One of the Glemsford traditions of childhood was the "Sunday School Treat". These events are mentioned regularly in the logbooks of the Village School, but almost always with no detail, other than that they were associated with most of the different denominations in the village - and there were several.

Here, George Boreham gives us a small insight into one such event - the tea party associated with St Mary's Church.

Sunday School Treat

I was six years old and had been going to Sunday school for nearly twelve months and the great day had at last arrived - the Sunday school treat.

My sister who was older than I had attended for the full twelve months and was fully qualified to attend the treat which was held in the vicarage garden.

We put on our Sunday best and set off for the vicarage, there were lots of other children all chattering excitedly walking and running to the vicarage. When we arrived there was quite a crowd waiting to enter so we formed up behind to wait our turn. As we waited impatiently to pass through I could smell the tea, bread and butter just behind the fence and I could glimpse the tables set out with bread and cakes through the yew trees.

Then at last we reached the gate where we had to show our attendance tickets, my sister was allowed to pass, then they looked at mine and had a whispered conference: they asked my sister "Is this your brother ?" She said "Yes sir," - they told her to stand with me by the gate as I did not have enough attendances, I was four short.
"We shall have to see the vicar about it ."

After waiting until all the other children had gone in and the smell of bread, butter and cakes had become almost unbearable, and with tears streaming down our faces the vicar came along and said as a great concession, seeing it was the first time I had missed having a full attendance, that we could come in.

This was my first brush with "red tape": there would be many more.