St Mary's December 2018 Parish Magazine

Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Finedon
Parish Magazine
December 2018
Digital Edition
1

Vicar:
Finedon Parish Church: St Mary The Virgin
The Revd Richard Coles,
St Mary the Virgin Finedon, The Vicarage,
Church Hill, Finedon, Northants, NN9 5NR
01933 681 786, Mobile 07885 967 960
email: revdrichardcoles@yahoo.co.uk
Curate Revd Jane Burns, 01536 524936
Email:janeburns2211@gmail.com
Assistant Honorary Priest Fr Peter Baden,01832 733186
email: p.baden36@btinternet.com
Reader Mr Michael Duncombe, 01536 483935
email: mikeduncombe61@gmail.com
Parish Clerk
Mrs Gill Foster Tel: 680364 (To whom first
contact for Baptisms and weddings must be
made).
Churchwardens: Mrs Jane Read Tel: 680522
Mr Neil Forster Tel: 682177
PCC Secretary: Mrs Gill Foster Tel: 680364
Treasurer: Mr Andrew Weatherill Tel: 682212
Magazine Editor: Mrs Janet Millington, Tel: 681161.
email: millingtonjanet@aol.com
(to whom all copy should addressed by
the 15 th of the month prior to publication)
Director of Music Mr Jonathan Harris Tel: 01933 779059,
Mobile 07791 664507
Email: Hjonathan83@aol.com
Deputy Organists
Mrs. Kathy Roberts
Mr Oliver Grigg
Choirmaster: Mr. Bryan Chapman Tel: 398818
Tower Captain Mr Bryan Chapman, Tel 398818
Web Site
www.finedonphotographs.org.uk/
bellringers.html
Archivist
St Michael’s Mission Room:
Dr Kaye McClelland, kayemclelland@gmail.com
Bryan & Christine Chapman
Tel: 01933 398818
Times Of Services:
Sundays
8.00 am Holy Eucharist
9.30 am Parish Eucharist.
6.00 pm Evensong (1st Sunday of the Month)

From the Vicarage. Christmas 2018.
The Oxen
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.
We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.
So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
“Come; see the oxen kneel,
“In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.
The other day I came across a poem I knew from childhood, by Thomas Hardy,
written just over a century ago; and was so moved I had to stop everything else I
was doing. It recalls the old country tradition that at the midnight hour on
Christmas Eve animals perform their own nativity in honour of the ox and the ass
who witnessed Christ’s birth in the stable at Bethlehem. It’s a lovely story that
children accept without question, but as the years go by it fades, like so much of
the enchantment of childhood. There are moments when it returns, as it does for
the old boys in this poem, sitting at their fireside as midnight strikes. They are silent
for a moment, like children again, believing without even trying that the animals
in their own stables and byres are kneeling to adore the new born king.
What makes this even more poignant is its date. It was written in 1915, when the
farm boys and the shepherds and the ostlers and the farriers were leaving their
fields for the battlefields of northern France and Belgium and Gallipoli. The
centenary of the Armistice this year has brought them vividly to mind, focusing us
again on what they endured for King and Country. We’ll never have to endure
the like, I hope, and it must have seemed distant from the England they returned
to. What was it like, if you were quickly demobbed, to be home in time for
Christmas 1918, only a month or so after the end of hostilities? To sing carols of
peace and goodwill to all men after Mons and Ypres and the Somme?
Unimaginable; but they did and we still do, for whatever life throws at us, as
midnight strikes on Christmas Eve, that same hope awaits us. May you know it
again this Christmas.
Yours in Christ,
Fr Richard
3

Our Worship in December
Year C
2nd Advent Sunday
Jermiah 33. 14 – 16
Psalm 25
1 Thessalonians 3. 9 – end
Luke 21. 25 – 36
Hymns
32 O come, O come, Emmanuel
24 Come, thou long-expected Jesus
31 Lo, he comes with clouds
descending
Anthems: Handel And the glory of the Lord from
Messiah; Hark what a sound (28)
29 Hills of the north, rejoice
9th Advent 2
Baruch Ch 5
Benedictus
Philippians 1. 3 – 11
Luke 3. 1 – 6
Hymns
26 Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding
Benedictus (Philip Moore)
34 On Jordan’s banks the Baptist’s
cry
93 When Jesus came to Jordan
Anthems: Gibbons This is the record of John; Ye
servants of the Lord (40)
87 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
16th,Advent 3
Zephaniah 3. 14 – end
Ps 146. 4 – end
Philippians 4. 4 – 7
Luke 3. 7 -18
Hymns
25 Creator of the starry height
362 Tell out my soul, the greatness of the
Lord
607 Thy kingdom come, O God
Anthems: Boris Ord Adam lay ye bounden;
The people that in darkness sat (38)
58 Long ago, prophets knew
23.Advent 4
Micah 5. 2- 5a
Magnificat
Hebrews 10. 5 – 10
Luke 1. 39 – 45
Hymns
49 Come, thou Redeemer of the earth
Magnificat (Stanford)
242 The Angel Gabriel from heaven
came
41 A great and mighty wonder
Anthems: Harris Ave Maria; James Macmillan O
Radiant Dawn
32 O come, O come, Emmanuel
24th Midnight Mass
Isiaih 9. 2 – 7
Psalm 96
Titus 2. 11 – 14
Luke 2, 1 -14
Hymns
19 Once in royal David’s city
1 O little town of Bethlehem
12 O Come all ye faithful
Anthems: Chris Hutchings Hush my dear;
Sussex Carol (arr. P Ledger); It came upon the
midnight clear
10 Hark, the herald-angels sing
25th Christmas Day
Isiaih 52. 7 -10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1. 1 – 4
John 1. 1 – 14
Hymns
12 O Come all ye faithful
7 While Shepherds watched
16 God rest ye merry gentlemen
Anthems: Ding dong! merrily on high; The holly
and the ivy
5 The first Nowell
30th Christmas 2
1 Sam 2. 18 – 20. 26
Ps 148
Col 3. 12 – 17
Luke 2. 41 – end.
Hymns
67 See amid the winter’s snow
73 Unto us a boy is born!
55 In the bleak midwinter
Anthems: Love came down at Christmas; Good
King Wenceslas
64 Of the Father’s heart begotten
Organ Voluntaries following the 9.30am
services & Midnight Mass
2nd December – J.S. Bach: Chorale Prelude
Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 645
9th December – J.S. Bach: Chorale Prelude
Herr Christ, der ein’ge Gottes-Sohn BWV 601
16th December – Louis-Claude Daquin: Noël X
23rd December – J.S. Bach: Chorale Prelude In
dulci jubilo BWV 729
24th December – J.S. Bach: Fantasia in G
(Pièce d’Orgue) BWV 572
25th December – N. Rawsthorne: Improvisation
on Adeste Fideles
30th December – J.S. Bach: Chorale Prelude
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist BWV 614

From the Registers
Holy Baptism
28th October
Amelia Sophie Helling
Funerals
14th November
Arthur James (Jim) Stairs, age 84.
Floodlight Sponsorship
4th November
Sponsored by Mick & Monica Webb
.11th November
Roger, Jane & Carolyn - in memory
of Andrea Neville (on what would
have been her birthday).
18th November
Bettie Carter & family - in memory of
their darling Gillian.
Lorna & John Mears – in memory of
Liam Colin Mears.
25th November
Anonymous - In memory of Jim Stairs
who helped so many people during
his lifetime.
Mrs Nina Beetson - in memory of
Donald Beetson.
Christmas Services at St
Mary’s Church
Advent Carol Service
Sunday 2nd December at 6.00 pm.
Deanery Mother’s Union Carol
Service
Tuesday 11th December at 2.00 pm.
Nine Lessons and Carols
Sunday 16th December at 6.00 pm.
Come Sing the Messiah
Saturday 22nd December at 4.30 pm
(Rehearsal 2.30 pm).
Christingle
Sunday 23rd December at 4.00 pm.
Midnight Mass
Monday 24th December at 11.30 pm.
Christmas Masses
Tuesday 25th December 8.00 am
and 9.30 am.
Epiphany Carol Service
Sunday 6th January 2019 at 6.00 pm
5
Thank you
The Churchwardens thank everyone
for their hard work, support and wish
everyone a very Happy Christmas
and a peaceful New Year.
January Magazine copy
Thank you to everyone who has
provided copy for the Parish
Magazine during the year, your
contributions are very much
appreciated.
Thank you also to our readers for
your continuing support.
As we need to get the January
magazine to the printers and printed
before the Christmas holiday, could
you please hand any copy for the
January magazine in by the
10th December.
Thank you.
Wishing all our readers a
very Happy Christmas

Remembrance
I would like to take this opportunity to thank
all those people who attended the service
at the War Memorial on Remembrance
Sunday. Again a record attendance
(estimated 800).
Thank you to Jason and Richard for
conducting the service, to Alex and
Melanie Robinson who read the poem in
French and to the vicar who did the
translation. To Darren for playing Last Post
and Reveille, and all the other helpers.
Another thank-you for all those who
attended the evening service in church,
plus Richard, Jason and Jane for
conducting the service. Thank you also to
the two Standard Bearers and all of the
readers.
Michael Shipton
People’s Procession 11th
November 2018
On Remembrance Sunday we had the
privilege of joining 9,998 other people to
take part in the People’s Procession in
London to mark the centenary of the
Armistice.
We assembled on The Mall around
9.30 am and had a chilly 3½ hours wait
before the procession started. We were
amongst young and old and everyone in
between, all there for the same reason, to
remember those who have given their lives
for their country. Many were proudly
wearing their own medals or those of a
member of their family, many brought
wreaths of poppies or homemade wreaths
of colourful flowers, some with personal
photos, made by children, adults, schools
and all kinds of groups to place on the
Cenotaph. It was very moving to be there
for the 2 minutes silence, marked by the
firing of guns in St James’s Park – which
was extremely loud being so close – but
nothing compared to those on the Western
Front who heard them continuously.
The procession slowly moved off around
1.00 pm, we followed a Scottish military
pipe band to keep us in step and were
cheered and applauded by the thousands
of onlookers still there from the
commemorations during the morning. We
walked along The Mall, Trafalgar Square
and into Whitehall, past the Cenotaph and
continued past the Houses of Parliament
into St James’s Park where the procession
ended. It was a once in a lifetime
opportunity for us to pay our respects and
“remember them”. It was encouraging to
see very many children amongst the
crowds and the events that took place to
mark centenary, highlighting the Great
War, should enable future generations to
explore the history and continue the
commemorations
On the previous day we had visited
‘Shrouds of the Somme’ at Queen
Elizabeth Park. This was a physical
representation of every one of the 72,396
British and Commonwealth servicemen
killed at the Battle of The Somme who
have no known grave, and whose names
are engraved on the Thiepval Memorial.
Artist Rob Heard has spent 4 years hand
sewing shrouds around small figures which
were laid out for 10 days to mark the
centenary of the Armistice, having
originally laid out 19,240 in Exeter on the
hundredth anniversary of the first day of
the Battle in 1916, the single day on which
all 19,240 were killed.
The scale of this tribute was truly
astounding and very emotional and even
more astounding was the fact that this
represented less than a tenth of the nearly
one million British and commonwealth
servicemen who lost their lives in the First
World War.
We were privileged to meet Rob the artist,
shake his hand and thank him for such a
profound experience.
We felt we were amongst a great number
of people in the Procession, 10,000 of us,
paying our tributes in London, but
considering the vast numbers of those
killed and commemorated during the
weekend, this was just a drop in the ocean.
John and Jean Marlow
.

Mothers Union
The next meeting will be in the
Mission Room on Tuesday 4th
December at 12.45 pm for members
only as this will be our Christmas
Lunch.
This year Finedon St Mary’s branch
will be hosting the Higham Deanery
Mothers Union Advent Carol Service.
This will take place in our church on
Tuesday 11th December at 2.00 pm.
Father Richard will be taking the
service and all are welcome to join us
for this special event.
Tea and mince pies will be served
after the service.
The Mothers Union wish you all Joy
and Peace this Christmas.
Squirrel Wellykins
In October Joyce Williams was tidying
her allotment and shed ready for the
winter and decided to remove her old
Wellies and replace them with a
better pair from home.
She picked the old ones up in the
shed, one was heavier than the other
and rattled. Wondering what animal
she had caught in her boot she
carefully tipped it upside down and
out fell a pile of nuts.
A Squirrel had been storing its winter
food in one Welly and probably
decided to hibernate in the other.
She left the nuts in a pile on the floor
next to the new Wellies. She went
back two days later to check on the
nuts. Alas the nuts had all
disappeared. After a search in the
shed she could not find any trace of
them. The Squirrel had moved house.
7

Townswomen’s Guild
The next Finedon Townswomen's
Guild meeting is at 7.30 on Thursday
6th December in the Town Hall when
Peter and Gloria Wright will be
entertaining us with 'Christmas
Flavour'.
Seasonal food will be provided during
the social half-hour, and the
competition is 'topping the tree'.
For any non-members who wish to
attend there is a small charge of
£3.00 You will be made very
welcome.
Christmas music and
mince pies with the
Orpheus.
After last year’s successful afternoon
Christmas concert with Park Junior
School Choir, the members of
Wellingborough Orpheus Choir are
delighted that the children will be
joining them again this year. The
programme will be a mixture of
Hollywood Christmas songs from the
1940s and ‘50s and traditional carols,
some from the Orpheus, some from
the children, and some sung together.
There will be plenty of opportunities
for you to join in too, with mince pies
to follow!
So, take a break from your Christmas
shopping at 3.00 pm on Saturday 15 th
December and come along to the
United Reformed Church, High Street,
Wellingborough. Tickets are just £5,
including refreshments, and entry is
free to students and accompanied
children. Book yours in advance by
calling Maureen Williams on 01604
870318, or by emailing
maureen@thejetty.eclipse.co.uk.
Tickets will also be on sale at Irvin’s
House of Flavour on the High Street,
Wellingborough, or you can pay at the
door. You can find out more about
the Wellingborough Orpheus Choir on
their website: www.orpheuschoir.info
or follow them on Facebook
Finedon Over 60’s
We meet every Wednesday at the
Bowls Club, Wellingborough Road at
1.45 pm until 3.30 pm. We have tea/
coffee and biscuits with
entertainment, bingo, bring and buy
and talks on many subjects.
Admission £1.00 plus 20p for raffle.
We start our December Christmas
Festivities with
5th Wicksteed Park Dinner/show
12th Mike & Jenny Clarke singers
with secret santa & mince pies
We then re-open on 9th January with
Bingo.
Merry Christmas to you all.

Do a good turn in the community
1st Finedon Scouts Christmas
Post.
The Scout Group will be
delivering Christmas cards
in Finedon area only (not the
Sidings or General’s corner)
Scout Post Boxes are
available at:
Newsagents, 83 Wellingborough
Road
Affleck Bridge Antiques, High
Street
Wesleyan Chapel, Affleck Bridge
Hair Raid, Rock Road
Premier Stores, Irthlingborough Rd
From 1st December to 18th
December.
Cards 25p for FINEDON ONLY.
All proceeds go to the Scout Group.
For further enquiries ring 01933
680680.
PLEASE ENSURE THE CORRECT
ADDRESS (include house number)
IS WRITTEN CLEARLY
St Mary's Thursday
Club
For our December meeting we will be
holding our Annual Christmas Party.
This will be held on Friday 21st
December 2018 at the Finedon
Cricket Club and will start at 7.00 pm.
This event is ticket only.
If you would like to join us and you
are not a member then please contact
Louise on 07851556417 to check
availability as spaces are limited.
The evening costs £18 (£16 for
members) and will include supper and
entertainment.
The Children's Christmas Party will
be held on 20th December 2018,
1.30 - 3.00 pm.
Happy Christmas to you all from St
Mary's Thursday Club.
Christingle Service
Celebrate Christingle with us
at
St Mary’s Church, Finedon
on
Sunday
23rd December
at 4.00 pm
Help us to be there for the
thousands of vulnerable children
who feel they have no one to
turn to.
Envelopes will be supplied at
the service for your donation.
All donations go to the
Children’s Society
EVERYONE WELCOME
9

Star Coffee House,
Institute and Hall –
continued.
In addition to the gymnasium, there
were other recreation facilities,
available to members, within the
Institute. These comprised of a large
billiard room which probably
occupied the whole of the upstairs in
this building, and was off limits to any
user of the facilities who was under
18 years. There was also a games
room that was available for all
members, either through their full
membership or if younger on an
admission fee of 2 shillings per
quarter. Although it is not possible to
be exact on everything that was
available in this room there was
known to be a small billiard table;
bagatelle; puff* and dart board; skittle
table (presumably Northants skittles)
and draught board. “Ping Pong” was
not introduced until about 1905.
Along with the football club the
games room was an attraction for
youngsters who, it was hoped, would
eventually become full members.
Northants skittles
The upstairs of the Institute being
totally devoted to billiards was
popular with the adult members.
Such that in 1889 The Trustees and
members decided that they would
hold a Billiards Handicap with 3
prizes of a timepiece, 1 years
membership and a half year
membership and an entrance fee of
3d. This remained an annual event
for many years and the popularity of
billiards had an enduring impact on
the social life of Finedon. Such that
the Wellingborough News many
years later in 1922 reporting on a
billiards championship newly
instigated by the Allen Rd Club said
“Since the palmy days of the Star,
Finedon has never lacked billiard
players, and several trophies have
come to the town in recent years.”
In March 1892, as interest in the
gymnasium seemed to be waning the
Annual General Meeting of members
began to look at other possible
attractions. A draughts and whist club
was debated with the idea that it
would be funded by an extra fee, and
under 18s would not be allowed
access. It was felt there were two
difficulties with this proposal. Firstly
as to the card playing, games
involving gambling needed to be
avoided, and it was proposed that the
members committee should be
recruited to police this. Secondly it
would require a separate room and
that needed to be looked into. A
decision was therefore deferred to
the next meeting.
By October 1892 any problems
regarding the card room had been
resolved. It was agreed that this
would go ahead, but no one under 18
would be admitted and that an extra
charge of 3 pence per quarter to
each member would be made.
Indications are that the card room
remained part of the facilities for
some period. However whispers of

gambling within the Institute were
circulating in Finedon. On May 13 th
1898 it was reported to the Trustees
that a letter had been received from
the Secretary at the Band Club
stating that he “could hear several
members of the Star Hall say there is
a deal more gambling carried on at
the Star than any of the clubs in
Finedon.” The Trustees Secretary
was instructed to write immediately to
the Band Club Secretary to “kindly
inform us who the members were by
whom this statement was made, so
that the matter may be fully
investigated by the Trustees and
steps taken to remedy the evil”.
No reply to this letter is recorded in
Trustees minutes, and there is no
record of any action being taken
against any members for being
involved in gambling on the premises.
The rumours seem to have been
“fake news”. Yet the spectre of
gambling arose again on 4 th
November 1902. This time the
Manager reported that he had reason
to believe that the boys who played at
skittles gambled occasionally. He
(The Manager) was instructed to keep
a sharp look out, and if he found any
one gambling to expel him
immediately. As again nothing further
is reported in the Minutes it seems
that if any gambling had taken place
the boys were wise enough not to do
it again with the prospect of expulsion
hanging over them.
Next month the Trustees have to
address another issue that those
involved in temperance considered to
be another of the evils in society.
*this may have been a puff billiards
board.
Finedon Local History
Society
There will be no monthly meeting in
December.
The January meetings will be held on
28th January at 7.30 pm in the
Mission Room when Pete Austin will
talk on the History & Founding of the
Northamptonshire Film Archive Trust.
The society wishes you all a Very
Merry Christmas.
Entertainment at Your
Service
Thank you to all who gave up their
time to perform in ‘Entertainment at
Your Service’ on Saturday 10th
November at the Star Hall. What a lot
of talent we have in Finedon – great
show.
Those of you who did not come
missed our Vicar in his scamper pants
and shocking pink leg warmers tap
dancing without the taps on his
shoes. His performance was highly
commendable.
Thank you to Jonathan Reynolds and
Nicola Large (Millington) for their hard
work . We raised just over £500.00 for
Church funds.
Jane Read
11

Finedon Town Council
Clerk: Mrs Julia Tufnail
Office Hours: Monday-Friday Mornings
7 Amen Place, Little Addington,
Northants, NN14 4AU
Telephone 07410 633544
Email: finedonpc@gmail.com Website:
www.finedonparishcouncil.gov.uk
Your Councillors:
Laurence Harper Chairman
Terry Kendall-Torry, Vice Chair &
Planning
Malcolm Ward, also WBC
Barbara Bailey, also WBC
Sally Farrell, Gill Spencer,
Gordon Swann, Stuart Cooper,
Andrew Weatherill, Mike Bentley,
Dennis Willmott, Ray Ogle, Louise
Lawrence
Remembrance Day Parade
A fantastic turnout for the Parade and
the completion of the War Memorial
renovations is a fitting tribute those
who fought for our freedom, but paid
the ultimate price. The Council have
been congratulated on the completion
of this project and a plaque thanking
all those who contributed will be put
on the back of the plinth as a
reminder of the huge community
involvement in this project.
Emergency Plan
Joanne Maddams, NCC Emergency
Planning Officer came along to a
meeting on 21st November 2018 in
the Town Hall at 7pm. The Council
will be following her
recommendations.
It has come to the Council’s attention
that the Historical Society’s building
has been put up for sale. If anyone is
interested either personally or
collectively, please contact the sellers
direct.
Rest assured, the Town Council is
keeping a close eye on the changes
happening at Wellingborough
Borough Council, its change to Town
Council status and the effect it will
have on Finedon, responding to all
the changes as they are put out for
consultation. The move to Unitary
Authority and the abolition of
Northamptonshire County Council is
also high on the watch list and the
Chairman and Clerk will report further
from the meeting of larger Councils in
Northamptonshire which took place in
late November.
The Council would like to wish all
residents a safe and happy
Christmas.
As usual, please feel free to contact
the Council should you have anything
you wish to bring to their attention.
Providing it is within the Council’s
remit, we will try our best to make
Finedon a better place to live.
Julia Tufnail
Clerk, Finedon Town Council
December 2018

Ranger Cadets come to
Finedon
The heart of England may be an
unlikely place to find maritime cadets
but a unit has been started at the
Community Centre. The Ranger
Cadets meet each Wednesday 6.30 -
8.30 pm with two sections, juniors 7 -
12 years and senior cadets 13-17
years.
The group is looked after by
volunteers and activities include
adventure training, camping, sailing,
navigation, drumming, sports and
games - all with a naval flavour. It is
easy to join too, just come along any
Wednesday evening and get involved.
Cadets are loaned a naval type
uniform against a deposit of £20.00
and 'subs are £3.00 each week.
Regular weekend events are also
organised all at very reasonable cost.
The unit meets again on Wednesday
28th November, Further details are
available from John or Eileen Mander
on 01933 412099 or 07932 311028
and the email address is
Rangercadetsnorthants@gmail.com
and the website is
www.Rangercadetsuk.org
We still have vacancies for new cadets
and adult volunteers. We need in
particular someone to run our galley
(canteen) which provides soft drinks,
crisps and biscuits etc at Stand Easy
(break time).
The Rangers is a not for profit
organisation and part of the Maritime
Cadet Association, a national naval
organsation for young people and a
registered charity. Their website
address is www.Maritimecadets.co.uk
Finedon Educational
Charity
By the time you read this article
Fr Richard will have officially opened
the new mobile classroom at the
Junior School and we, as trustees,
were pleased to grant £30,000
towards the cost. Over the past four
years the Charity has awarded grants
totalling £200,202, The Finedon and
Huxlow Schools received £147,140
which included £45,000 towards the
creation of a new pre-school ,£30,000
towards the cost of the mobile
classroom and the remainder for much
needed equipment and learning aids.
Local groups, including the Girl
Guides, Scouts, Cricket Club and
Football Club, received a total of
£28,854. A total of £24,208 was
granted to the following: local children
with special needs, university starter
grants, gymnastic activities, field trips,
musical instrument and singing tuition.
Grants are considered twice a year in
January and July. Please visit our
website for further information
www.finedoneducationalcharity.org
Trustees of FEC
Finedon Senior Citizens
Friendship Committee
Can people with donation envelopes
that have not been collected please
drop them in at 24 Regent Street or
bring them into church.
If you are able to bring neighbours or
friends envelopes as well this would
be a great help.
Next year we will have more dedicated
envelope drop-of points across
Finedon.
Thank you for all your support.
13

In My Day
The rambling of Hubert James
In
my day it
was about this time of year that we
would begin to think about Christmas
preparations.
Advent was the first time we’d give it a
thought, so there was often a certain
level of panic.
We were lucky in some ways that, for
instance there was a turkey farm on the
way to Warkton, so we knew we could
get a bird and most folk grew Brussels
and spuds. Mind you some things could
be a problem.
For instance you’d often find that your
carving knife had got very blunt and if
your sharpening iron had seen better
days you’d be looking for an alternative.
Now, in my day you had a drawer full of
cutlery which included something called
a bread knife. Remember these were
times when sliced bread was a rarity.
The phrase; ‘The best thing since sliced
bread’ hadn’t been invented. We were
still getting by with; ‘The best thing
since the key on a tin of corned beef’’
which to be frank was a mouthful and
not really that accurate.
The keys were rubbish. So was the
bread knife which was not invented for
turkey. It suffered with serration. We
were desperate to get our carving
knives sharpened.
So about now we’d post look-outs to
see along the A6 to tell us if the Saw
Doctors were coming. These were two
Irish fella’s called Leo and Davy who
travelled the country with a big old
grinding wheel made from off cuts of the
Blarney stone.
They’d usually turn up in time to
sharpen knives or sell you one of their
special knives. Their knives were so
sharp they could slice a human hair in
two, longways.
One year the boys arrived at the last
minute. They didn’t realise the urgency
of our need. They didn’t understand
how important they were to us.
We had to explain what our lives would
be like without them. How we’d have to
eat chunks of turkey ripped from the
carcass. The poor lads were so modest.
Now it happened that we had a writer in
the town called George Bailey who
along with a friend who I think was
called Frank Capri or something like
that, wrote up the story of the Saw
Doctors and their sharpening exploits
and made it into a film that we watch
every Christmas.
It’s called ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’.
Church Monthly Draw
The results of the November church
monthly draw are as follows:
Total receipts of £242.00 are divided
equally between the winners and the
church funds
Winning numbers for the November
monthly draw are:
1st prize 121 £60.50
2nd prize 26 £36.30
3rd prize 188 £24.20
If you would like to join the monthly
draw (£1.00 per share per month) which
takes place in the church on the first
Sunday of the month, please contact
Kathy Hobbs on 01933 398794.

Town Diary
December
January 2019
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
10-4.30pm St Mary’s Church Christmas
Tree Festival
11-2pm Christmas Bazaar, Wesleyan
Chapel
7.30 Band Concert St Mary’s Church
Start of the Scouts Christmas post.
11-4.30pm Christmas Tree Festival, St
Mary’s Church
6pm Advent Candlelit Carol Service
RBL Quiz night & nibbles/meat raffle
9.45 Coffee Morning, Bowls Club
3rd
6th
26th
28th
February
2nd
TG Town Hall, New Year Party with
Soup & Sweet
6pm Epiphany Carol Service, St Mary’s
Church.
Finedon, Pantomime week, Star Hall
7.30 History Society, Mission Room,
History & founding of the Northamptonshire
Film Archive Trust.
Last day of Finedon Pantomime
6th
7th
7.30 TG Town Hall, Peter & Gloria Wright,
Christmas Flavour.
RBL Christmas Party
7th
7.30 TG, Town Hall, Roy Smart
‘Any Wonderful Amy’
8th
9th
3-8pm Scout Group Santa float A6 end
St Mary’s Church, Wassail Evening, Bowls
Club
3-8pm Scout Group Float, Church end
16th
25th
Valentine Barn Dance, Community Centre
7.30 History Society, Mission Room,
Michael Brown, Death in the Garden
11th
15th
2pm Deanery Mother’s Union Carol
Service, St Mary’s Church
2-6pm Buffs Christmas Fayre, The Green
March
7th
7.30 TG, AGM, Adrian Cale ‘Nostalgia’,
The ramblings of Hubert James
16th
18th
22nd
23rd
6pm Nine Lessons & Carols, St Mary’s
Church
9.45 Coffee Morning, Bowls Club
Last Day for Scout Post
4.30 Come sing the Messiah, St Mary’s
Church, 2.30 rehearsal.
4pm Christingle Service, St Mary’s Church
25th
April
4th
7,30 History Society, Mission Room,
Tom Watts, The history of Finedon
Cinemas and the Watts family
7.30 TG, Town Hall, James Burton, An
Antiques Valuation evening
24th
25th
11.30pm Midnight Mass, St Mary’s Church
8am & 9.30am Christmas Services,
St Mary’s Church
15th
7.30 History Society, Mission Room,
Douglas Goddard, The history of the
postcard
St Michael’s Mission Room, Well Street, Finedon
Available for hire weekdays, Saturdays & Sundays.
Suitable for most social functions, charitable events, children's parties (no late
discos)
For all enquiries and information contact
Bryan & Christine Chapman Tel: 01933 398818
Email: bryanchapman2@aol.com
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