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No: 301
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
February 21st 1946

My dear Boys and Girls,
May I make a suggestion to you? We are getting very near to Lent and I would suggest that each one of you sees his, or her, Chaplain and asks him to arrange a short discussion class on one evening in the week. You will be surprised how interesting such a gathering can become. There would be few of you who would not feel insulted if anyone said you were not a Christian. But what is a Christian? What faith does a Christian profess, and what are the obligations binding on one who takes to himself such a great appellation? Here are some questions that one might well ask for,to me, it always seems ridiculous to belong to any society and not to know,when asked, what membership of such a society means. After all if we are Christians we ought to be able to give an intelligent reason for being such. Show this letter to your Chaplain as an introduction,and just say "Now, what about it?" With my love and all my prayers, ever your faithful old friend,
L.N. FORSE.

HOME FRONT NEWS.
Little 'Home Front' news this week,as the rector has been away since Wednesday on many businesses. Funeral at Tarleton Wednesday morning, then to London, slept at Staines, then on Thursday starting at 7am went to Cambridge, slept at Cambridge Thursday night. Caught 8.30am from Cambridge to London. Spent almost all Friday at House of Commons, returned by 5.35 Euston to Preston, arriving home at 11.30pm. The rector thanks Harry Johnson for coming to Preston on Friday night and bringing him home in his butcher's van. On Sunday last the following two Banns of Marriage were asked for the first time in Tarleton Parish Church: Joseph Harold Aspey (Harold Aspey, Carriage Drive) and Elizabeth Parker (Betty Ball, Hesketh Lane). Wedding March 23rd. Daniel Wright, Kearsley Avenue, and Margery Iddon, Holmes. Wedding March 3rd. Marjorie Bourne, of Rufford, (Jack Bourne's sister) was married last Thursday at Rufford Parish Church, to William Davenport, Mawdesley, just demobbed after 41/2 years in the Army.
Mr. Dickinson, for the past ten years Headmaster of Ormskirk Grammar School, is leaving to become the Principal of Winchester Training College for Teachers. Old and present scholars gave him a present, and also one to Mrs. Dickinson. Bill Ball, Newarth Lane, HB, who has recently been demobbed from the Royal Navy, in which he served throughout the war, was married on Saturday at Liverpool to Kathleen Boggan, a Liverpool girl. Roger Singleton (used to be on Ribble Buses) who now is gardening for the rector, saw a fox in the shrubs behind the rectory tithe barn last week. Philip Barron Snr. is putting up again for the County Council and is being opposed by a man named Shaw from Rufford. The election is on March 4th. Clem Marsden's little boy broke his arm last week and was taken to Southport Infirmary. He came out last Monday. Miss Chapman is ill with pleurisy and pneumonia. She is doing fairly well. Fred Bentham is on ten days leave and Eric Abram (Blackgate Lane) comes on leave from CMF next week.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS.
L/Cpl. Herbert Parkinson, BAOR, writes from WESEL, Germany, "We are very busy here putting up the biggest Bailey Bridge ever to be built. I think it will be on the films some time as the Gaumont British, or it may have been the Movietone, was at the opening ceremony. We have had two days off after completing it. This Coy. is to break up at the end of the month. So next time I write I shall have a new address. Remember me to all in the Forces, and here's wishing them all a speedy demob." LAC Alan Jay writes from RANGOON, Burma, "I am being demobbed under Class 'B'. They put me down as a brickworker, as you will remember I used to work at Alty's. I have been out here five months,which I can assure you is quite long enough. I think myself extremely lucky in being offered this Class 'B' as my demob number is 58, and the thought of another twelve months out here was not very pleasant. Offer my congratulations, through the NL, to Eric Bell on his engagement, and my best wishes to Ken Baxendale, and Bob Edmondson, and in fact all the lads, and a speedy DEMOB to them all." Dvr. John Caunce writes from CMF "We have had plenty of snow,far more than we had a few years back, if you remember,when I went to Preston with your car, and then went on to Mere Brow the same night, or I should say morning-side, and you walked to Mere Brow and back wondering if I had arrived home safely. You say that I have a job when I get back straightening the mudguard on your car. I shall be only too pleased to do anything like that for you." Pte. Robert Edmondson writes from Gibraltar "I am living quite a decent life considering that I am in the Army and on Gib. I had a letter from my old pal Ken Baxendale the other day. He is now in Egypt after being in Palestine for a while. You should have quite a number at Church these days now that the lads are gradually getting home. A friend of mine who was with me in the Gordons, and who is now in Egypt, was showing some of his photographs, taken in Germany, to another friend, when that friend said 'I know that chap, that is Bob Edmondson. The mutual friend was Jimmy Monaghan,who is now in the Middle East. Cfn. Thomas Mayson (Rufford) writes from BAOR "On the rapid approach of my demob, Group 26, on Feb.16th, I would like to thank you for the News Letters sent out to me. I've enjoyed the minutes spent in reading them." Pte. Jack Parker (Liverpool) writes from Karachi "At long last I am on my way home. Mauripur-as you know-is the starting point of flying home. I flew here from Poona in a Dakota. The RAF, so far, is making a much better job of looking after its customers than the Army. The grub is really good; they supply sheets for the beds, and they do give us an idea of the cause of any delay-not like the Army which keeps us in the dark. I will pay you a visit when I get home-if the Liverpool girls will let me out of their sight." LACW Margaret Moss writes from Madley, Hereford, "I arrived here last week with a pal of mine. The journey wasn't too bad considering the many changes we made. This is a huge camp, very widely dispersed. It is a training school for air-crew cadets, training them for wireless. I don't suppose that I shall get leave before I am demobbed. My kind regards to all the boys and girls." Mr. Bert Fawke (readers will notice that when a lad has been demobbed I give him his proper title) writes from Liverpool "I left the good ship MFV1540 far away in Ceylon, and after a speedy demob routine, now find myself a fully-fledged civilian, in Liverpool once again. Strange to relate, I have not so far missed the amenities of the Navy, nor have I been haunted by the call of the sea. I shall be visiting Tarleton shortly, and will pay you a visit." Mr.William Hillman, of Rufford,who before joining the Forces was in the Tarleton Flight, ATC, writes "I expect that you will know that I have been demobbed from the Royal Marines, and I am very glad to be home. I have started to work for Mr. Hawarth, the electrician, at Hesketh Bank, and so I am nicely settled. I thank you for the NL. It brightened me up when I was away from home." LAC Jim Skelly writes from PAIFORCE "I had quite a bundle of NLs arrived the other day which had been posted to my old unit in North Africa. As you will see I have now moved to SHAIBAH,which is in Iraq. I have enjoyed reading your little 'sermonette' and have found many helpful things in them. If possible will you remember me to Jacky Clemmy who also used to get your NL." (Jim Skelly and Jack Clemmy were friends of Tom Parkinson, and were with Tom when he was killed in Corsica. They have both kept in close touch with Mrs. Parkinson and with the rector. After Tom was killed his mates collected a considerable sum of money which they sent to the rector to buy a plaque to place in Church in memory of Tom. Owing to the impossibility of obtaining a plaque in wartime, the rector has done nothing in the matter yet, but he is now hoping to get a suitable plaque).