CHRISTMAS GREETENGS TO ALL READERS 742 %tag dottAltal/ ME' SOUTHERNELECTRICITYBOARD w • Letters to the Editor Letters for publication should be n.s brief as possible, and accompanied by the sender's name and district whether or not intended for pliblie«tion. Long Service age. experience and servico" Yours. me, Dear Sir, H. W. SEARS, We from the Sunny South take up District Manager. the challenge issued by the youngsters Bollfne""mlb. of the Oxford District. Had not our S.E.B. Brass Band ? Sub-Area taken up residence in Bourne- Dear Sir. mouth, the figures presented would have Referring to Mr, W. J. Wheeler's been even more formidable. Note the remarks published in the November party includes one lady but excludes issue regarding 6 employees of the the half-century-old members of the Shaftesbury Branch who are members COUNTY group who have not %sem the of the Shaftesbury Prize Band, 1 vsould whole of their time in Bournemouth. like TO point out we base 4 members of the Salisbury (Rural) Staff who are Over 44 Years' Service members of Prize Bands. These arc as Johnson, A. M. - follows : Spicer, R. W. ., 46 C_ Warner, Mains Department. Bartlett, A. E. Solo Tenor Horn. Woodfalls Silver (Total, 31 Band. 30-42 Years' Service Alan Spreadbury. Adams, W H Second Baritone. Woodfalls Silver Balcombe, G. Band. White. W. R. - Corben. Smart, F. 0, Second Tenor Horn, Downton Benbow, W. P. Brass Band, Burden, J. G. Eastman. Hattersley, W. C. Bass or Side Drummer, Woodfalls Spalding, L. W. Silver Band. Bartlett, F. G. Perhaps there are other Districts with . 37 Brass Hand enthusiasts, so what about Newton, V. H.,. 37 a S.F.B_ Band '? Crabh. R. R. Yours, etc.. Willmott. J. 36 C. EASTMAN, Hordle, W_ J. Salisbnyt (Rural). Storekcepen Wheeler, D. W. Ansell, L. .. Electrically Driven Market Garden Bartlett, H. G... Tractor Bessant, J. Dear Sir, Young, W C.._ , 33 On page 26 of the October issue I Chalk, F. .. read with interest the short account oF Long, Miss 32 an electrically driven market garden Robins, A. C. IL tractor. This type of tractor is being Woolford, H. R. developed not only in this country but Billett, C G. 30 also by the Agricultural Scientists of Canard, A. T. the U.S SR. The enclosed cuttings Saywell, H. R from a non-technical magazine show a (Total, 26) tractor and haryesring combine being 20-29 Yeare used on Soviet farms. Total over 20 yeard service .. 134 Yours, etc., Total Staff, Bournemouth District 731 R A. BOULT, Percentage over 20 years' service 18.33% Marlon. Foreman Electrician. Having put Oxford in the shade, we (The cuttings referred to show a wait to see whether we can remain in tractor powered by a cable attached to the sunshine, and in the meantime we a mobile transformer sub-station at the would say, "Dear Board, respect our side of the fie1M—Eo.). Contribudons for the Journal should be sent to : The Editor, SOUTHERN Southern Electricity, Southern Electricity House, Bath Road, Maidenhead, Berks, ELECTRICITY or handed to your Local Correspondent. THE HOUSE JOURNAL FOR THE PLBLISHM MONTHLY EMPLOYEES OF THE SOUTHERN ELECTRICITY BOARD EditedbyJames ft Boot Tel.: Maidenhead 2696 VOL I No. 8DECEMBER,1949 CONTENTS PAGE Are You Having a Party al.PAGE Letters to the Editor ii Christmas ?..i.. 28 Christmas Curiosities Farewell to " Parky ".... 30 What Do You Know About Autumn—A Pocm ...... 31 Christmas ?„ 3 Newbury Street Lighting.... 32 The St. John Ambulance Brigade.. 4 Seeds for the Whole Season.. 34 Trolleybus Extensions atReading 5 The Story of the Isle of Wight Rocks 35 How Much Do You Know ? 7 SouthernBells...... 39 The Younger Generation.. 8 E.A.W. Form Reading Branch.. 42 News from the Sub-Areas . First Graduate & Junior Engineers No. 1 (Southall) Sub-Arca. 10 Convention...... 44 Na 2 (Newbury) Sub-Area.. 12 Sports Fistures and Results.. 44 No. 3 (Portsmouth) Sub-Area .. 16 E.1.B.A,Ball... 44 No. 4 1Bournemouth) Sub-Area 21 Dancing Time...... Your Cluisunas Dinner on Present Southern Market...... Day Rations.. 22 Local CorrespondentsBack Cover FROM THE CHAIRMAN when we all look forward to a time of happiness, good cheer and hope for THIS is an Occasion the Future. Southern Ltectrienx has already played an effective part in circulating Southern Area news and I am very glad to send, through the medium of our popular house journal, a Christmas message to all employees in The Southern Electricity Board. I hope everyone will have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Chairman. a..24000001ni•ne_ ODhistoricalYeovil,associatedChristmas, are village getting especiallywith the of in Ilehester, spiritNCEICKENS high on ofspirits Christmasagain his near Is, passing. thewhen to kept all residents Dickension,01 it inwill US,Indeed, the be closely bar skinnedof the untilhere, even on where Christmas atoin now,Badger frontthe admirers with of allhunt, Eve, its present might The biggest have observed will be SOUTHERN ELECTRICITY Christmas Curiosities BADGER FEAST over the fact that their village, once the and the carcase will he suspended f•om county town of Somerset, is preparing the man tlepiece over the old Oshioned for its annual " Badger Feast." open fire on a " Spinning Jack." The This is a Centuries old custom held visitors upon payment of one penny or Vrill be at " Round the Cow Inn," Ilchester. over which is given to charities Our local Correspondent had an allowed to Baste the Badger and partake interview with Mr. At E. Wills, the of a portion when cooked. proprietor, who informed him that he When everyone has eaten then- portion has been landlord for the past thirty they sing the " Firlow Tree P which our ears and has always kept uP this Correspondent is oven to understand custom. In Ihe smoke room there is a is the Christmas Tree, after which Cider fine collection of Badger skins adorning flows freely and the Wassail songs make the walls, tables and floor, the rafters of the old historical bar shake. The first week in December a Party This ancient custom ha, been broad- led by Mr. Wills will once again set out cast. nix....--..m.....--- ....... ..--m---..... A "SPIRIT" OF CHRISTMAS Eve, writes Li Eighteen, Reading. approach into the centre of the town, Although no claim can be made that he changed traffic, and modern shop fronts, was in Reading at Christmas, he did the spirit or Dickens is still present. often come to a hall, still existent, in The strange contours of its road out- London Street, to give long readings lined lw i N old houses scents to preserve from his workp Who can tell that, as it, the deep gutters seeming to linger, his carriage rumbled down-hill over the awaiting i he carriage, with horses of cobbles through London Street after long ago. his performance one night, his glimpse Anyone passing here on ChristmaEve of the opening to Church Street, with particularly if it should happen to snow its dingy appearance and single centre to render the scene even more complete, post, possibly suppor Ling some be- cannot fail to Ref its legendary impulses draggled lowly creature, did not inspire and, we hope. he blessed with a true him to create Ebenezer Scrooge ? spirit of (Eristmas. We know he invariably took the names " THE MISTLETOE BOUGH " of his characters from shop owners' signs, And parts of Reading still retain A LTI II /LC; I 1 the history of Winchester some of the atmosphere he has created dates back 1CP the year " DOT," for posterity in his novels, there seem to be Few legends The entrance to Church Street remains connecting Christmas and the City. almost as it must have been then. The Local county folk still maintain, post is still there, ever leaning t and however. that it was at Marwell Hall, the small shop, with its protruding upper near Winchester, that the unfortunate floor butting into the narrow way might bride was killed by the lid of the old then have served sweets over its counter, oak chest locking itself after she had as it does to-day. hidden in it. and from this story grew In London Street also, there remain the Christmas song " The Mistletoe houses, with large frontal windows, Bough." It should, however. be men- having wide, deep stone steps leading up honed the legend is claimed by several to their large knockered doors, from other parts of the country. kaa DECEMBER, 1949 WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS ? The Christmas tree was introduced H EREarewhich may sonac be factsnew to about some. Christmas DI° Ihis country less than a century ago by Queen Victoria's husband, The three Wise Men, or Magi, led by Prince Albert, but the Yule log belongs thc Star of Bethlehem to the stable to the days of the Hearth fire. It was- where Jesus N. as born, were three kings carried in from the woods with great named Melchior, Gaspar, and Belthazar. ceremony in Saxon times, and usually The gifts 'hey brought were gold, lighted with a brand saved from the frankincense and myrrh. Yule log of the previous Christmas. The Roman Emperor at the finle of Christianity borrowed the use or the binh of Jesus was Augustus Caesar, holly from the Saturnalia or the Roman also called Octavius Caesar, and the world. and mistletoe from the old ruler of Palestine was his vassal, King Druids, who regarded it as a sacred plant. Herod. The gospels or Mark and John Christmas has not always been cele- contain no Christmas story, but Luke brated on December 25th.