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Transcript © 2003 Hubmaker. All rights reserved.
Reproduction by any means strictly prohibited.
No: 298
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
February 1st 1946
My
dear Boys and Girls,
I have had very few letters from you for the last fortnight,and
I do hope that you are not growing tired of writing to me. You see,
a letter to me means that you are sending news of yourself to all
your old friends, for directly they see an extract from a letter
of one of their village companions they say "I wonder what
my old pal so-and-so has to say?" and they read it with interest.
I know that there is not much to write about these days for peacetime
soldiering is very tame. And remember that we also like to know
what you are grumbling at, and in peace-time every soldier can find
a few grumbles without much difficulty. At the present time the
village is like a huge hospital, for almost every house has some
one in bed ill. Poor Dr. Croft is run off his feet, or off his motor
tyres, I suppose one should say nowadays. Luckily Dr. Herbert is
better again, and back in harness, although he is not so robust
looking as he used to be. As I write this, the telephone bell has
rung. It is the RTO at Preston, and Philip Rigby is stranded at
the Station there. It is 11pm. Luckily Tom Rutter is in the Rectory,
so he volunteers to take the car, and he has just started off. So
don't forget when stranded at Preston to go to the RTO's office
and ring HB 230. Last week Arthur Harrison, Billy Benjamin and Jack
Marsden all came by the same train arriving at Preston at 2.30am.
Billy Benjamin telephoned his father who took the wagon, Arthur,
via the RTO telephoned me, and I went with my car, Jack Marsden
telephoned no-one and slept on the station until the first train.
If all had gone to the RTO one vehicle could have gone, and ALL
could have been brought home. With my love and all my prayers,ever
your sincere old friend,
L.N.FORSE.
HOME
FRONT NEWS
We
regret to have to report the following deaths:-
Mrs. Dorothy Ashcroft, Holmeswood, grandmother of James Reed Ashcroft,
who died on January 23rd and was buried at Tarleton. She was 68
years of age.
Mrs. Hugh Iddon, Church Road, two doors from Co-op, grandmother
of Hugh Iddon who works for Mrs. James Howard. She was buried at
Tarleton on Wednesday. She was 73 years of age.
Mr. Richard Harrison, Higher Lane, Holmes, died on January 27th
and was buried at Tarleton last Thursday.
Mrs. Tongue, Hesketh Lane, mother of Mrs. J.A.Barron, died on Tuesday
last and was buried at Tarleton on Friday.
Mrs. James Parkinson (better known as Fanny Foster, only daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Foster, newsagents) has presented her husband with
twins - a boy and a girl. All are doing well.
The engagement has just been announced of John Waters, Boundary
Lane, to Audrey Unsworth of Birkdale. Mr. and Mrs. Hart, South Road,
Bretherton, celebrated their Golden Wedding day last week. Miss
Robinson, who sold her drapery shop, plus house, in Hesketh Lane,
last week, for £1,885, is taking a Boarding House in Colwyn
Bay. Some people from Clitheroe district bought the shop. Mrs. John
Gibbons (Bessie Sephton) put up her Hairdressers shop in Hesketh
Lane for auction last Saturday, but it was withdrawn because the
reserve price was not reached. Bidding went up to over £800.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Keane are now definitely leaving the Cock and Bottle,
otherwise known as the Tarleton Hotel, at the end of March. Local
rumour has it that Messrs. Thwaites,of Eanam Brewery, have received
over 200 applications for the job, amongst them being those from
a good many local people.
An Army wagon, and an NNF six-wheeler carrying gas masks, collided
at Windgate last Friday morning. It was a very big smash up, and
the Army wagon was cut nearly in two. No one was killed. The Rector
gave a talk to the Hesketh Bank Church Young People's Fellowship
last Tuesday. He took as his subject "Some Ghosts I have met",
but he could not include the Rectory ghost as he has never had the
pleasure of meeting her. That honour belongs to Jim Barron and others.
The Rector's own explanation is that being a bachelor, and the ghost
being a perfect lady, her sense of propriety will not allow her
to impose herself upon him. Mrs. Cookson, Wesleyan Cottages, Church
Road, is very ill indeed and Dr. Croft is trying to get Harry home
from CMF to see her.
Other invalids are:- Mr. Arthur Sewell, Blackgate Lane, Mrs. Thomas
Melling, Hesketh Lane, Mr. John Mayor, Church Road, Mr. Harry Higham,
Coe Lane, Mr. Richard Thompson (Kelly), Church Road, Mrs. Marsden,
Legh Arms, Mere Brow. Mr. Harry Southern, having reached the age
limit, is retiring this year from the position of Caretaker of the
Council School. Ted Barnish, Hoole, was demobbed last week, as was
also Stanley Frazer, Mere Brow.
ON
LEAVE
Tom
Sutton (Holmeswood Hall, Mere Brow), Harry Price. Thomas Coulton,
Mere Brow, has written to the Rector suggesting that a semi-circular
stone seat be placed at the back of the lawn behind the present
War Memorial, in memory of those Tarleton lads who have given their
lives in the present war. Other suggestions for the same purpose
will be welcome, for we must not let the names of these lads go
un-recorded in the parish. While we give freely to the living, we
cannot ignore the dead.
EXTRACTS
FROM LETTERS
Cpt.
Stanley Baldwin, RA, writes from CMF "This will most probably
be my last letter to you from abroad, as after much thought and
consideration I have decided to leave the Army with my age group
(23). I am very pleased to say that I received a 'Mention in dispatches'
at the end of November, so now I wear the oak leaf. It is very sad,
in a sense, to see those with whom one has served for over six years,
going off to all corners of Britain. The Army certainly does make
one appreciate the other fellow. Regimental life is much different
now, so many of the old chaps have gone home, and the break up has
really started." Sgt. Dick Blundell, RA, writes from India
Command "Our Padre left us last week for Japan. He hadn't been
with us long, but that's the way it goes in the Army. We had just
fixed up a hut into a Church and got it all spick and span, and
now for the time being we are without a padre. I was at Holy Communion
at 8 o'clock on Christmas morning, but I expect that you were all
in bed then, as we were 5 1/2 hours in front of you, which would
make it 2.30am in Tarleton. As usual the normal topic of the day
is demob. Please remember me to all the 'locals' through the NL
and anyone in India can find me at RHQ 55 Heavy Regiment, SECUNDERBAD."
Dvr. Joe Wait writes from CMF "As I am in Group 26 I hope to
be leaving here very soon, and to be home during February. When
I come home I shall be looking for a small piece of land on which
to build a bungalow, that is if I cannot get a house to rent. The
NLs arrive very regularly and I am going to miss them very much
when I get home. They have been by far the best means of keeping
in touch with what is happening in our own village, and I am sure
we shall all miss them." Stoker William Hudson, RN, writes
from his ship at Portsmouth "I am hoping that it is not very
long now before I shall be coming to see you in my civvy suit. I
have been moving around quite a lot lately, and am just beginning
to settle down. I would like you to remember me through the NL to
PO Arthur Procter, whom I was with in Ceylon and who, I believe,
is now in Singapore. Also to C.Wright, RAF, Chuck Wright, Bob Bond
and all the lads in HM Forces." Pte. Arnold Bailey writes from
Westcliffe-on-Sea "You can see from the address that I am back
where I started from when I first came into the Army. I am finishing
the last part of my V/Ms course. The lads out of this Unit are being
moved to Farnborough. The food is much better here than it was at
Luton. Every Sunday night the Rector here opens the Church School
for us. You can get hot suppers, and they have a short service,
and then a concert, and after the concert the Church workers bring
tea and sandwiches round. This is done every Sunday night, so we
have something to look forward to. Please remember me to Ken Dandy,
Frank Taylor and Frank Foulds, in the News Letter." Mr. John
Hornby, BEM writes "I am now settled down as Games and Physical
Training Master at the Preston Technical College. I find the work
much to my taste, and very similar to what I have done in the Royal
Navy, having young men once again to deal with. Many thanks for
the NLs which I have been receiving regularly."
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