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Transcript © 2003 Hubmaker. All rights reserved.
Reproduction by any means strictly prohibited.
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
January 14th 1943
My
dear Boys and Girls,
Only just a few lines this week in my personal letter because I
want the Space for the rest of the news. Here is something to think
about. You have seen in the papers all the talk about a better world
after the war. But have you thought that if the new era is to function
properly you are the ones who will have to know how to run the machinery.
Hillmans made my car, but if I had not taken the trouble to learn
how to run it, it would be a danger to myself and everyone else.
We old ones can give you a new world; are you now studying its structure
and mechanism so that you can run it efficiently when you have got
it? Think it over.
With my love and my Blessing,
Ever your affectionate pastor,
L.N. Forse.
HOME
FRONT NEWS.
Mrs. Pollard, mother of Mr. Andrew Pollard, the clogger, and grandmother
of LAC Freddy, died on Tuesday aged 78 years and was buried in the
family grave at Briercliffe, near Burnley. Mr. Butterfield, Kearsley
Avenue, died on Wednesday aged 53 years and was buried at Keighley,
Yorkshire, his home town. Philip Barron junior, broke his wrist
cranking up his lorry, and it is still in plaster of paris. Jack
Hodge, on bicycle, crashed into a lorry and cut his eye open. Dr.
Croft had to put in two stitches, he is now able to get about. Chief
Petty Officer John
Hornby, of Little Hoole, has been awarded the B.E.M. in the
New Year's Honours List. He received all his early education at
our Tarleton Church Schools and never fails to pay the rector a
visit whenever he comes on leave. He was on the Repulse which took
the King and Queen to Canada in 1939, and last year his ship took
the Prime Minister to America. Frank McKean is on the same ship
in which he is serving at present. The Rector held his usual Epiphany
(Twelfth Night) Party for the Servers at the Rectory, after service
in Church. Many could not come owing to working night shifts, but
14 turned up and had an enjoyable evening. Nellie Johnson, Sutton
Ave. was married by Licence to James Edward Taylforth, of Aintree,
in Tarleton Parish Church on Thursday. The bridegroom is a Private
in H.M. Forces. Mrs. Collinge, of Southport, was buried in Tarleton
Churchyard on Friday. Hugh Melling, R. A. F. home on leave for occasion,
was married on Saturday at Hesketh Bank Parish Church by the rector
of Tarleton to Jennie Slinger of Becconsall Hall, reception afterwards
at bride's home. Mrs. Croston, who used to live at Hanging Bridge
Farm at Bretherton, over Sollom Lock, and came to live in the new
House built on Taylor’s Farm at Sollom, died on Thursday.
She was 79, and the sister of Mr. Henry Bridge who was a Tarleton
Church Warden in Archdeacon’s Fletcher's time. 2nd Lieut.
Stanley Baldwin has now returned to his old Unit which he joined
as a Trooper some years before the war, and in which he rose to
the rank of Battery Sgt. Major. His Colonel applied for him. He
expects to go abroad shortly. Ernie Nicholson has been granted another
extension of compassionate leave to look after his mother. Readers
will remember that his father died about 3 months ago. Dvr. Ronnie
Iddon is only about twenty miles, if as far, from Bert Barron R.A.F.,
Sid Ball is home on agricultural leave. Lewis Clark, Jack Robinson,
Jack Marsden, Bert Melling, and John Hornby returned from leave
this week. Guild of Players gave a very good pantomime in the Church
Schools on Friday and Saturday evenings. Hugh Rowland has arrived
in India. Sub. Lieut Jack Hague R.N.R. has re joined his ship. We
send our best wishes for the New Year to Jack Robinson's friend
in Ireland, Victor Tootill, and hope that he will drop us a line
one of these days; come along Victor! Ken. Ogden, Hoole, is marrying
Alice Mayor on his next leave. Freddy Pollard came on compassionate
leave for his grandmother's funeral. It took him 36 hours coming
by boat and train. Muriel Iddon (Gorse Lane) is very ill indeed.
She is suffering from chronic anaemia.
EXTRACTS
FROM LETTERS.
Bert Barron (Sollom) writes from abroad (US Army) and marks his
epistle 'Letter No.2." but letter No.1. has not yet come to
hand. He says ''I am on a lonely outpost about 20 miles from a famous
town (Cooks and films). The local inhabitants are quite friendly,
but their language baffles me. I'm sure you would be quite at ease
with it. We are getting good food, in fact better than I received
on the stations in England. The only snag is getting cigarettes
etc. I have received 2 N.Ls.” LAC Jimmy Swift, who writes
from Kenya, says 'Thank you for the bundle of N.Ls I have just received.
They have been following me about since last April. I cannot express
what these letters mean to us, or how greatly I appreciate receiving
them. All the lads enjoy reading them and have asked me to include
them in my thanks to you. There is not much fun seeing only black
faces every day and not being able to speak their language. Best
wishes to all Tarleton lads and lasses in the Forces." AC Stanley
Quinlan writes "I get as much as 3 hours flying a day, providing
the weather is alright. Now for some news my wife has presented
me with a son whom we are going to call after his grandfather. He
was born on Dec. 25th, and what better day could we have for his
birthday than that of our Lord. Both my wife and my baby are doing
well. Please remember me to Dick Blundell, Alf Rowland, Ken. Nicholson
and Cpl. Robert Moss, and all the other lads of the village."
LAC Tom Smith asks "'Will you on my behalf, thank the Bowling
Club, the Mothers' Union, British Legion and the Hesketh Lane Methodist
Church, all of whom sent me Christmas gifts. On Christmas Day for
breakfast we had Corn flakes and milk, stewed figs, bacon and egg,
bread, butter and marmalade. Then we retired to bed in a state of
semi stupor. For dinner we had Oxtail soup, baked potatoes, green
peas, Brussel sprouts, turkey, roast pork with stuffing and apple
sauce, Christmas pudding with white sauce, and for those who so
wished an unlimited supply of beer, cyder or lemonade. Cigarettes
were freely distributed, and while we relaxed we listened to the
station dance band. I believe that 1943 will be a year of great
victories for the allied cause, but I doubt very much whether this
next year will bring final victory. Pte. George Farrington of Croston
(courting one of Chrys Wilson’s daughters) writes "Thanks
for your most welcome N.L. Will you please remember me to all the
Tarleton lads, especially Bill Harrison and Tom Spencer. We have
two Church of Scotland padres here. They give us a lecture every
Wednesday afternoon and we enjoy it very much. We also attend St.
Andrew’s Cathedral in ---- every Sunday morning“. Dvr.
Dick Taylor (Mere Brow) writes "You will have noticed by the
address at the top that I have now moved into Bonnie Scotland. Nobody
need over talk to me about Scots people being mean; so far we have
met with nothing but hospitality on all sides! Pte. Joe Power (H.B.)
says "I only hope that all the members of H.M. Forces had the
splendid array of scrumptious Christmas fare that we had the luck
to have. While supervising some Ammo being stacked, a stacker slipped
and let a box of 6 pounders fall on my foot. Of course that meant
being confined to bed for a couple of weeks. I now have what the
MO. calls a 'peach’ of an abcess in the ear. Please remember
me in the N.L. to all my friends, particularly Wm. Melling.“
Gdsn. Aubrey Smith says “I spent a very enjoyable Christmas,
the best I have had since I joined the Army. Yesterday I went to
----- the place where the School had a direct hit and many children
including the master were killed.“ Tom Fazackerley writes
“We are now in a small village out in the wilds of ---- .
The Rector is coming to us every Sunday evening to have fireside
chat. We go to the Rectory every Monday for baths. On Christmas
Day we went to a Rectory, at ---- for our Christmas dinner. And
what a feed!! We could hardly eat another thing, but when we got
back to our camp we had our Christmas dinner again, and so missed
our tea. Is Lewis Clark very far from me? He said in the N. L. that
he was in the land of sugar beet. Please thank for me the M.U.,
B.L. (Women’s Section) and the Conservatives for their very
welcome gifts, Gunner Arthur Harrison says “As you will see
I have moved and am no longer a Private. Its starvation here. Its
been snowing nearly all day and it will be colder still if we have
to go to the ---- Islands. We are billeted in a Church School and
it's cold. We have no heat on. We think it's cold at home, but not
so cold as it is here, and they say it will be colder next month.
I will close now as I am having a walk to the pictures. Roll on
Peace!' A/M Vernon Ogden writes “You tell me more news in
one N.L. than I get to know in a month from home. We are having
quite a lot of snow around here. I was hoping to get away before
it started. I shall be having my leave about Feb. 8th and will then
come and have a talk with you." Pte. John Caunce says "I
think that I shall be posted to a tank Unit. If I do I shall get
seven days’ leave before I start training. We had the photograph
of all the platoon taken on Sunday and I am getting one to send
to you. We had to run the 100 yards again to-day, and I brought
my record down to 10 and 3 fifths.” (at any rate you have
beaten my typewriter, John, because it does not run to fifths).
ACL George Harrison says ''We had a better dinner and tea than we
expected. In the aft. our good friend the Vicar - gave us a film
show, and also one in the evening. I hadn’t a Xmas card from
anyone”. |
