1940s STYLE ENTERTAINMENTAT CULCHETH

Posters on wall at Saturdays event

Natasha Harper

Paul Harper

Paul & Natasha - Saturday night entertainment

Paul and Natasha - Sunday afternoon

Little White Rabbit meets Paul and Natasha!

Steve and Bernadette meet Little White Rabbit!

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 the First World War ended. Thousands had died, thousands more had been injured and scarred by their horrific experiences and needed support and practical help when they returned. Civilians wanted to remember the people who had given their lives for peace and freedom,. An American War secretary, Moina Michael, was inspired by John McCrae's poem (In Flanders Fields - see below) and sold poppies to raise money for the ex-Service community and so the tradition began. 

In 1922 Major George Howson MC who served in the First World War founded the Disabled Society. He recognised ex service men could make artificial poppies and approached the Legion. He founded a small factory which was later to become The Royal Legion Poppy Factory.

The British Legion - now the Royal British Legion was formed in 1921. The first official Legion Poppy Day was held in Britain on 11 November 1921 and since then the Poppy Appeal has been a key annual event in the nation's calendar.

British Legion Culcheth & District Branch

Parade in Culcheth 2012

Newchurch

 

 

In Flanders' Fields

In Flanders' fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

in Flanders' fields

Take up our quarrel; with the foe;

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high,

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders' fields

(John McCrae 1915)

The first World War caused widespread devastation to areas of Northern France and Belgium, but the poppy flowered every year, bringing colour and hope to the devastated landscape. Colonel John MCrae, a doctor serving witht he Canadian Armed Forces was deeply moved by what he saw and, inspired by the poppies, wrote a poem - In Flanders Fields. McCrae died in a military hospital on the French coast shortly after writing his poem but it was published in Punch magazine, showing the world what conditions on the battlefields were like. 

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

Keep Calm and Carry on - you will find this slogan in all kinds of places and on all kinds of things. I recently bought a cushion with the words on. It was first used, I believe, during the War.

This weekend many of us will be remembering those who died for their country in various wars and those continuing to protect us in various lands throughout the world. As a child I used to attend the service at Kingsley Cemetery with my father who had served with Bomber Command as an instrument mechanic during the 2nd World War. In those days Kingsley had a branch of the Royal British Legion and on the Saturday before Remembrance Sunday I used to accompany my father to collect the Legion flag from either the church or one of the chapels where it had been kept until the following year when it would be taken to the other church for the year. Unfortunatley there is no longer a British Legion branch in Kingsley. I also remember helping my father count and bag the collection money, sugar bags were used in those days, different colours for the various coins, the counting was done in St Johns C of E School hall. My father often spoke with sadness of times spent talking to and praying with young pilots going out on missions and the dreadful wait to see how many returned from their missions.

(Ellesmere Port Cenotaph)

Tonight I am attending an evening of 1940s music and dance at the Royal British Legion Club in Culcheth near Warrington where Paul & Natasha Harper will be performing and on Sunday hope to attend the Culcheth Remembrance Parade at Newchurch.

I like the following hymn and thought I would quote it here:

For the healing of the nations,

Lord we pray with one accord;

for a just and equal sharing

of the things that earth affords.

to a life of love in action

help us rise and plege our word.

Lead us forward into freedom;

from despair your world release

that, redeemed from war and hatred,

all may come and go in pece.

Show us how through care and goodness

fear will die and hope increase.

All that kills abundant living,

let it from the earth be banned;

pride of status, race, or schooling,

dogmas that obscure your plan,

In our common quest for justice

may we hallow life's brief span.

You, Creator-God, have written

your great name on humankind;

for our growing in your likeness

bring the life of Christ to mind;

that by our response and service

earth its destiny may find.

(Fred Kaan - Singing the Faith).

ERDDIG APPLES AND MISTLETOE

Every year Erddig holds an apple weekend where you are able to see all the various apples from the Erddig apple orchards. There are usually cider makers and crafts. This year we missed the special weekend but were pleased to find the apples still on display in one of the gardeners sheds.

 Erddig is the only place I have seen mistletoe growing in abundance on the trees in the orchards

ERDDIG HALL NEAR WREXHAM

On Sunday on our way home from Llangollen we called in at Erddig Hall near Wrexham. This had been the home of the York family and is famous for the way the family treated their servants. Instead of entering the house through the front door you enter through the servants rooms. There are photographs of the servants hanging along the corridors and a member of the York family wrote verses about the servants which can be read alongside the photographs.

LET THERE BE LIGHT - BACK TO ILLUMINATIONS

Back to Saturday night at Blackpool illuminations

POEM FOR THE DAY - THE BUSINESSMEN OF ENGLAND

Did you know that over a third of adults still sleep with a teddy bear, and further that 25% of male respondents take a teddy away with them on  business?  This news item inspired the following poem...it can be sung to the tune 'Aurelia' better known as 'The Church's One Foundation'

The businessmen of England

At corporate affairs;

Come home to bed each evening,

And hug their teddy bears.

By day, these moguls mighty,

Are fearsome men to dread;

By night, they cuddle tightly

Their favourite little ted.

The bishop in his mitre,

The surgeon with his knife

The heavyweight prize fighter

May all possess a Steiff.

The banker, great and lofty,

The champion of sport,

At heart, a great big softy

Who needs his Merrythought!

Behind each man successful,

A woman, so they tell;

But when your work is stressful

You need a bear as well!

And, as you read these phrases,

Permit a knowing smile -

For you are sane, not crazy

If you're an arctophile!

(By Nigel Beeton)

(Taken from our Parish Magazine November 2012)

Arctophile - Someone who has a fondness for teddy bears, usually a collector of them