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No: 282
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
August 30th 1945

My dear Boys and Girls,
This week I have been busier than I have been for many a long day, and that is indeed saying something. What with Old Church Sunday, the Garden Party, and the Parish Magazine to write, I have not had a moment to myself.
Like yourselves we, at home, are worrying about your demobbing. For us, of course, the sooner we can get you home the better, and the sooner you are back in decent jobs and in comfortable houses, the best of all. Whether we succeed or fail you will, at any rate, have the satisfaction of knowing that we are doing our utmost for you in this, as in other respects.
One last word. When the time for your discharge draws near be sure and read through carefully every paper you are asked to sign, so that you clearly understand what you are doing. After the last war I knew several lads who lost pension to which, I thought, they were entitled, because they had signed documents stating that they would make no claim against the Government.
With every good wish, and every prayer for your welfare, ever your old friend and rector, L.N.FORSE.

HOME FRONT NEWS
The following local engagements have been officially announced this week:- William Taylor, Blackgate Lane, to Elizabeth Tindsley, eldest daughter of Mrs. Albert Tindsley, Blackgate Lane, Hugh Iddon, Church Road, to Alice Hague, eldest daughter of Mr. Joe Hague, Carr Lane, William Ball, Moss Lane, to Irene Hague, only daughter of Mrs. John Hague, the Smithy, Church Road.
Mrs. Harry Bolshaw, Mere Brow, has presented her husband with a daughter.
Mrs. Cryer (nee Peggy Harrison) of Caton, has presented her husband with a son.
We regret to announce the death of Mrs. Ellen Hodge, Church Road. She was buried at Tarleton Churchyard last Saturday. She was 76 years of age.
Grand Garden Party on the rectory lawn last Saturday. Practically everyone in the village came. Bowling tournament on lawn; the rector borrowed a lot of Side Shows from Southport Pleasure Beach; Marshside Band in afternoon, Stardusters Dance Band for dancing on lawn - which was floodlit - in the evening. Takings, which came to over £150, for Welcome Home Fund.
Edith Hanson, Kearsley Avenue, was married on Saturday in Tarleton Parish Church to Carl Eric George Henry Alexander Trowbridge of the RAF, stationed at Kirkham. Reception and Wedding Breakfast at Garlicks. Afterwards the guests went across to the Church Schools for a Social Evening and Dancing.
Dr. Croft had kindly promised to open the Garden Party on Saturday, but was prevented owing to illness. He kindly sent a cheque for £50 as a token of his thankfulness that two of his sons have returned safely from the front line of battles fought throughout the war.
Mrs. James Forshaw kindly opened it at almost a moment's notice, and most generously gave a cheque for £10.
Robert Hodge, Church Road, and Nathan Abram, Banks, both of Hutton Grammar School, have gained the Higher School Certificate.
Tom Melling of Preston Grammar School and Lilian Sutton of Ormskirk Grammar School have gained the School Certificate.
Old Church Sunday, last Sunday. Good congregations all day. The weather was beautiful all day.
All the Schools opened last Monday after five weeks holiday.
The engagement is also announced of Reggie Johnson, Wesleyan Cottages, Church Road, to Irene Jennings, of Meols Cop, Southport.

ON LEAVE
Robert Barron (Hesketh Lane), Arthur Barron (Church Road), Arthur Croft, Jack Marsden, Frank Foulds, Jimmy Harrison (28 days before embarking for SEAC), Harry Woosey, Fred Pollard, Bert Miller (HB), Jimmy Harrison has come home from BLA and has been stationed in Germany.
During the week there has been a great scarcity of cigarettes in the whole district, and the rector has been reduced to Woodbines, quite like the old days, in the last war,when he smoked nothing else.
Ken Baxendale is on leave after being ill for some time.
The Banns of Marriage were called out at HB Church for the first time on Sunday between Leonard Ditchfield, Walmer Bridge and Hilda Gautrey, Hesketh Bank. They are to be married in September.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS
Pte.William Lowe from India Command "You will see that I am back in India which is not a grand place, but still it is better than where we have come from. We are now in very good billets and there is everything we need here; the food is quite good. It seemed very strange that the very day we were celebrating VJ Day for our victory over Japan, I should receive the monster VE number of the News Letter for our victory in Europe. The monster Victory number was a grand one, and I really did enjoy reading it." AB Walter Ascroft writes from his ship, HMS Sylvia, "Some of my letters have been going to a ship called `Sylvio` and then coming on to me later, so be sure to address my letters `SYLVIA`, and I shall get them without delay. We were in Piraeus a few days ago and I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Dickinson and Bob Rimmer. They came on board our ship and we had a nice time. The weather is still hot, and we get plenty of swimming, and the best of it is that we do not have to go far, we just nip overboard." AB Tom Dickinson writes from his Ship "Today is VJ Day and we are at anchor off a desolate island. The only thing we can do to celebrate is to splice the main brace. We are going back to Piraeus this week so we will have our VJ Day then. We shall get 48 hours leave,so I guess Athens will be the best place to spend it. Walter Ascroft of HMS Sylvia is here with us. Bob Rimmer and I are going to bring him over to our ship. It was through the NL that we found out where he was. Remember me to Bob Howard, Ken Dandy and John Caunce. Dvr. Jack Robinson writes from BLA "We are attached to the British Military Mission to the Netherlands. It is quite a good job we are on now; we are living like lords in a big hotel with waiters in white coats at your service. It will suit me here until I finish with the Army in a few weeks' time. Holland is a lot different now to what it was before we left it on our way to Germany. I am at a place called ZWOLLR about 30 miles from Arnhem. Remember me to cousin Vera, Arthur Harrison and Vernon Ogden." Fus.Arthur Barron writes from BLA "I am now in a place called Bad Segeburg, about 35 miles from Hamburg and 20 miles from Lubeck, so I am able to get to these two places fairly often. We have a very nice Church here,with two padres. We also have two canteens, a Picture House and ENSA shows. Remember me to my brother Bob, cousins Bert and Ann Barron, Jack Hodge and all in the Forces."
LAC Freddy Coupe from Northern Canada "I've been on the move and have travelled some five thousand miles. I'm now safe and sound in the wilds of Labrador. When I left Trinidad I had quite an enjoyable trip to Montreal. Our first stop was Jamaica where we met some English millionaires who gave us a really good time. From Miami we went by train to New York. Then on to Montreal where I managed to get nine days' leave which I spent with my relatives in Cleveland, Ohio. Now I'm in a place miles from anywhere. Still, the billets are good, two in a room, and the food is good under the circumstances." Pte. Joe Power (HB) writes from BLA "I am still in the small village of BOONEDT, about five miles from NEUMUNSTER. I am attending Church services in the small town of Bad Segeburg. This evening there will be a dance in the hotel from 8pm till 11pm. My opinion about the Atom Bomb is the same as the man in New York who was stopped by a reporter and asked his opinion of the new bomb. The citizen replied "It will either be the end of wars or the end of civilisation." Sapper George Bamber writes "When I last wrote it was from Germany, but since then I have been sorted out with Group 26, put in another Company and returned to England for more service in the Far East. I have just received a batch of NLs returned to me from Germany. The NL certainly does follow me everywhere I go. Now that we are back in camp the general opinion amongst the lads is that we shall be re-grouped and that quite a lot will escape going overseas again. But at the moment we are undergoing training for overseas until we hear something different. I have just had to turn down the chances of a month's agricultural leave owing to a clause in the rules that if I take the month my demob group will go back six, which would certainly land me in the Far East group, so I am sorry to say that the harvesting will have to do without the soldiers as none will take leave under these conditions."