Church

Bell Ringing | The tolling of the bell | The Poor Law | Joining of the Parishes

Clifford Chambers Church, St Helens

There were many colourful characters in our Church. One in 1646, was a William Albright who was described in the records as Rector of Clifford, but someone had added the words “without doubt one of the Puritan intruders”! He also appeared to have intruded into the Church at Quinton, for, in the Proceedings-of-the-Composition Committee, 1648, the Vicar of Quinton, William Thornborough, complained that he was disturbed in his duties by Mr. Albright. Mr. Albright’s reply was that Mr. Thornborough “is very meanly endued for his calling not being able to put up any prayer but what he readeth”!

When I arrived in the village, people were still talking very lovingly about the Verger, John Lively who had died in the 1950’s. The extract from the Stratford Herald gives a good picture of him:-

“His dignified walk up the nave, his steady gait while mounting the steps of the Chancel, and the methodical way he turns to his desk and reaches for his spectacles, all belie his years. In the truly traditional manner, he leads the people, being first with the amens and responses saying them in a loud voice.”

Jack Radbourne was the Verger when I arrived, and he based his conduct in serving as Verger, on John Lively, with perfect accomplishment – including the loud amens. Jack also had a strong bass singing voice. So did Ralph Dodd who sat opposite him.

Ralph sang each bass note with perfect precision and timing. Jack wandered a bit in his bass notes, occasionally hitting the same note as Ralph – and sometimes not! Both men entirely obscured the trebles who sat behind them, boys one side and women and girls the other, and their strong bass voices almost drowned theirs! The congregation didn’t fare very well either! But the two mens’voices could be heard clearly outside in the street.

Church Choir 1938

Dedication of Church Door

The choir, in 1938, had 7 men and 6 women. Choir Mistress was Doris Dodd.

Doris Dodd

Each May, the Cross and Bearer, Choir, Doris Dodd, Rector and congregation all processed out of the Church and round the village for Rogation Sunday, stopping every-so-often for prayers to be said – for the school children – for those working in the fields – for those serving and buying in the Village Shop etc.

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  Rogation Sunday

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Please note, in one of these photos, the double-decker bus that had brought a number of the congregation from Stratford.

In 1968, the choir consisted of the two men already mentioned, 3 women, 4 teenage girls, 8 little girls, and 8 boys.

The only other time, the choir and congregation left the Church was for the Remembrance Day service round the War Memorial

Photos Church St. Helen's Church - Remembrance Sunday 1972 (two photos

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  Remembrance Sunday

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To provide robes for all the little ones in the Choir, a Pantomime was held for three days, with one matinee performance, in the Jubilee Hall, with all the younger choir members taking place.

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  Cinderallas Ball

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Denise Reynolds was a sweet little Cinderella, and Caroline Spragg her handsome Prince. Martyn Spragg was a page, but the two who bought the house down were the ugly sisters, played by Paul Leonard-Williams and Ian, his friend.

Elaine Harris was the Queen Mother, and Stephen Leonard-Williams the King. Then we had various children and mice, one of whom was Christine Evans (now Beasley), and I believe Buttons was played by Neville Evans.

The Pantomime was so popular, that people who came the first night, turned up the second night so they could have another amusing night!

At the beginning of last Century, the choir and Sunday School children went to Red Hill House every Christmas Day at 6.00pm for tea in the Pippets dining room. The long dining table was decorated with flags of all nations. After tea, presents were given out from under the Christmas tree.

1930 April Parish Magazine

Psalms were only sung at Harvest Festival. Miss Wilding played the American organ. Before that instrument arrived, there was an harmonium costing £3 bought with the proceeds of a carol singing expedition. And before that, the congregation had to rely on the various instruments played by the villagers sitting in the Musicians Gallery at the back of the Church. When our present organ arrived in 1931, the American organ was given to the Methodist Chapel in the village.

Church Choir 1993

The lady who took the register at one time at the Sunday School was Miss Padbury. She originally lived at Mill House, an elegant figure with feather boa and parasol. Len Salmon, born in 1910, could remember, as a little boy, walking up the drive of Red Hill House with the other Sunday School children, to have Sunday School with Miss Monica Pippet. Miss Edwards taught the Sunday School in the 1950’s.

MEMORIES OF CLIFFORD SUNDAY SCHOOL (Maisie Wilkes)
We always went three times on a Sunday to Church; choir attendance at morning and evening service, and Sunday School in the afternoon. This was taken by Canon Brooks and Miss Dodd. We always received a coloured stamp to stick into our attendance book.

The Sunday School treat was a tea party at The Manor. This was at Christmas where Mrs. Rees-Mogg always had a present for us – a useful present! I still have the two sewing kits I was given, one in the form of a lady’s bonnet, and one in the form of a girl in a hooded cape, and they are still being used! In the summer we also had a picnic at The Rectory, with games.

After the War, we had a Choir outing to Weston-Super-Mare. It was my first view of the sea. My Mum gave me a sweet ration coupon to buy a candyfloss for me and my brother. Most of our outings after that were to Cheddar and Weston-Super-Mare. The coach was always full, and we always called for fish and chips on the way home.

Church Choir Outing

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When I (Avril) arrived, Mrs. Leonard-Williams was taking the Sunday School with the help of some mothers and teenagers. When the Hawkins arrived, due to such a small number of small children in the village, it was decided not to hold Sunday School for a while. Instead, we had Childrens Church, taken by Rev. David Leonard-Williams, assisted by his wife and sister-in-law, and Miss Baker, the headmistress of our village school.

Sunday School children

Quest Club started round about 1982 when the Hawkins left. and Miss Win Baker the one 'in charge' of the spiritual teaching of the children, having retired as Headmistress of the village school, announced to her two 'helpers' that she would be spending many months whenever she could in Zimbabwe - and they would be taking over. . This was rather a shock to Christine Wheeler and Avril who were the helpers. Both had toddlers, and when they took on the work because there was no-one else to do it, both became pregnant during their first year of Quest Club! Both babies, when born, gave them bad nights for many months! They managed, just about, to keep their eyes open enough to keep Quest Club going. A year later, realising that many of the children were over 8, they divided the children into two, the younger children meeting on a Sunday, and the 9yrs onwards meeting on a week-night. By this time, Childrens Church had become Family Service. In 1989, Youth Fellowship (later called Yoyo), started for 14’s onwards.

All the children were encouraged to take part in the Family Service, either by playing their instruments for the hymns, or announcing the hymns, and sometimes doing a little drama. The register for Quest Club, (Infants, Juniors , Seniors and Yoyo) during the late 1980's and into the 1990's showed 5 infants regularly attending; 17 children regularly attending aged 5 - 8; 14 regularly attending among the 9-13's and the older ones numbering 9. Forty five children altogether from the Parish, and their friends who had heard about Quest Club and asked if they could come too!.

The Christmas service for the children was originally called Blessing of the Crib. As the Nativity story was told, the children would bring up the figures to the crib. Canon Hawkins introduced into this service, oranges with candles, which were given to the children as they left the service. When Quest Club started, the childrens’ Christmas service changed slightly. Held on Christmas Eve, adults and children were given candles as they came into the service; the adults having their candles placed in cardboard holders, and the children having their candles in their Christingles. At a certain time during the service, all the candles were lit; the electric lights put out, and the whole Church filled with candlelight as the children sang the first verse of Away in a Manger, with the congregation joining in the last two verses. Then the lights would come back on, and the candles would be blown out for safety reasons!

Quips from the children

Avril was trying to get the children to visualize what the cooking facilities were like 2,000 years ago in Palestine. First, they realised from the picture she showed them, that there were no chimneys, so talk was about the need for a fire outdoors. “Now,” Avril said to the 5 yr olds, “what do you think Jesus’ mummy would be doing, sitting outside, by the fire?” There was a long silence while the children looked blankly at her. “Your Mummies are doing it all the time: They’re always doing it,” came her clue. Inspiration came to Clare Whiteside and she shot up her hand. “Sunbathing!” she said!

Another day, they studied more miracles of Jesus – healing the sick, and with sick people in mind, the children made fairy cakes and chocolate truffles. These were taken round to those poor-in-health in the village. However, Clare (5) and Tom Whiteside (4) came back with theirs. The recipient was unable to have them due, as Clare Whiteside told us, “to tummy truffles.”! The story, one Sunday, was particularly difficult as it was a story within a story. “Now,” the children were admonished at the end of the story, “I hope you will remember this story.” Seven-year-old Timothy Brain clapped his hand to his mouth in dismay. “Oh no!” he wailed, “I’ve forgotten it already.”

To give the children an idea of what it must be like to be a beggar – and look like one – they were given the choice of either dressing in rags or having their faces streaked with face-paints to show sores and boils. Most chose the latter! Five year old Simon Brain studied his black-streaked, red spotted face in the mirror. “Cor!” he said. “Isn’t that great – and I had a bath just before coming here!”

Quips at Family Services

It was Advent Sunday, and adults and children settled sleepily in their pews as Avril started talking about Jesus’ second coming. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door, and as it opened, a voice roared out, “Parcel for Quest Club! Parcel for Quest Club!” Heads swivelled round. Eyes popped, for in walked Percy, our Postman who lived at Bidford but had regularly delivered post to our village for years. Not only was he in his uniform, but he also wore the Postman’s cap that had become discarded by the Post Office some years before! A large box, wrapped up well in brown paper, was under his arm. The children gathered excitedly round him, eager to see what was in the box. When at last a cardboard crown was revealed (with the words ‘King,’, ‘Counsellor’, ‘Mighty God’, ‘Prince of Peace’ written on the coloured paper jewellery on the crown) a little voice was heard to say in a disappointed voice, “”It’s not so good as the Christmas Cracker crowns!”

Quest Club

Avril was giving a talk on the two greatest commandments as told by Jesus, and wanted to show the adults and children how these two commandments were imposed indelibly on the minds of the children, by means of a phylactery. She began, “These laws that have just been read to us were known – by heart – by every boy and girl in Jesus’ time.” The words “Jesus’ time”, were the cue for Lawrence to slip over his head a circle of elastic threaded through a black-painted matchbox, with the matchbox lodged just above his eyebrows. Without looking at him, Avril went on, “And do you know how they remembered them? Well – just look at Lawrence and tell me what he has got on his head.” All eyes were turned to Lawrence; then came a quick answer. It was Thomas, their nine year old son. “A bald patch” he shouted triumphantly!