Focal Point, May 2013

1 Focal Point, December 2013

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Services at St Mary’s Sunday, December 1 10.30am: Parish Communion

Sunday, December 8 8am: Holy Communion 10.30am: Morning Prayer 10.30am: Sunday Funday in the Church Hall - ‘Christmas is Coming’

Sunday, December 15 10.30am: Family Gift Service & Nativity Play

Sunday, December 22 8am: Holy Communion 10.30am: Fourth Sunday Special 6.30pm: Candlelight Carol Service

Tuesday, December 24 4pm: Family Crib Service CHRISTMAS EVE 11.30pm: Midnight Communion

Wednesday, December 25 8am: Holy Communion CHRISTMAS DAY 10.30am: Christmas Praise

Sunday, December 29 10.30am: United Benefice Communion at St Anne’s, Syston. There will be no services at St Mary’s

Tuesday, December 31 11.45pm: Watch Night service to welcome the New Year preceded by a New Year’s Eve party in the Church Hall.

9 Focal Point, December 2013 Churches and services URC

Elder: Muriel Williams  0117 961 6843 Minister: Meryl White  0775 914 6645 Sunday services (3pm) December 1 Christingle Service led by Meryl White December 8 Service led by Janet Donnelly December 15 Carol service led by Meryl White December 22 Service led by Sissi Hemming December 29 Service led by Steve Pigeon No coffee afternoon but Bible Study is on the 13th at 12.30pm ST MARY’S CHURCH

Ordained minister: Rev Richard Humphrey, Splinters, Kenilworth Drive,  0117 949 0502

Lay ministers: Ken Gibson, 8 Church Road,  0117 932 2122 David Bailey, Westover, Bath Road, Bitton  0117 932 8949

Churchwardens: Barbara Merritt, 32 Bath Road, Bitton  0117 932 3926 Jim Heavens, Eastover, High Street, Bitton  0117 932 5376 Focal Point editor: Becky Feather, 18 Church Road, Bitton  0117 932 5037

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St Mary’s is in a period of interregnum

For baptism inquiries: come to Sunday Funday at St Mary’s Church Hall at 10.30am on the second Sunday of the month For wedding inquiries: come to St Barnabas’ Church, , between 9am and 10am on the second or fourth Saturday of the month For all other inquiries: phone 0117 967 3965 Message from the minister ur daughter has recently given birth to their second child, Edward, writes Dr David Bailey. She had been O giving as much information about the pregnancy as her three-year-old daughter could understand. Imagine the conversation. Polly: How long will it be, Mummy? Where does my brother come out of your tummy? Dominique: It comes out through the birth canal (indicates) Polly (face screwed up): Won’t that be sore? Childbirth is an everyday miracle. To think that the full genetic code is contained in a double helix of DNA, that the baby grows in the womb; that all nutrients, including oxygen are supplied by the placenta. That, at birth, the lungs, never previously in use, start to inflate and immediately take over the full function of breathing. That sight, hearing and even personality are all well developed. And here’s another miracle - childbirth brightens up the faces of all around and makes us realise that a child is very special. Jesus had a lot to say about children. He healed children who were brought to him (1,2,3) and children were always present at His huge parties on the shores of Lake Galilee. When parents were trying to restrain the enthusiasm of children milling around him, Jesus told them off: “Suffer the little children, forbid them not to come to me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (4). Jesus also gave instructions about

11 Focal Point, December 2013 how to bring up children. If we, as parents, love each other and genuinely do the best for each other, our children are set the best example of love in action. If we also love our neighbours, we will live in harmony within the community and our children will be happy on the playing fields, at school and at home. As we prepare for the birth of Jesus, we can reflect on the words of Luke (5). Here, Mary is visiting her cousin Elizabeth. In the narrative, Mary greets Elizabeth, who is pregnant with the future John the Baptist. The child moves within Elizabeth's womb. When Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith, Mary sings the Magnificat in response. My soul magnifies the Lord And my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed Because He who is mighty has done great things for me And holy is His name And His mercy is from generation to generation On those who fear Him; He has shown might with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart He has put down the mighty from their thrones And has exalted the lowly He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent empty away. He has given help to Israel, His servant, mindful of His mercy, Even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His posterity forever.

Magnificat words, a Wonderful Saviour. Our best Christmas present yet!

1. Matthew 17:18, 2. John 4: 51-54, 3. Matthew 9:24, 4. Mark 10:14, 5. Luke 1: 46-55

12 Focal Point, December 2013 Christian Aid at Christmas his year’s Christmas envelopes continue the story begun last year of Waleed T Badir, right, a Palestinian boy who is 90% deaf, writes Nicola Bennetts. Since he was fitted with a hearing aid at a mobile clinic supported by Christian Aid, Waleed is leading a more normal life, making friends and doing well at school. It’s a heart-warming story and typical of Christian Aid’s work – or some of it. As I write the scale of the destruction wreaked by the typhoon in the Philippines is becoming apparent. Christian Aid’s partners are already there, on the ground, making a difference. They’ve helped people reach emergency shelters and are preparing to deliver vital relief to tens of thousands of people caught in the path of the storm. When the worst is over and people rebuild their lives, Christian Aid’s efforts will continue, just as they have following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2010 floods in Pakistan, the 2012 cyclone in Burma and other emergencies. We can help by putting money in the Christian Aid envelopes which will be in the pews during the Christmas period. Please give generously and don’t forget to fill in the Gift Aid form. Community choir The new Bitton Community Choir meets on Fridays from 7pm to 9pm in the Lady Chapel at St Mary’s, Bitton (except when there is Flicks in the Sticks). It’s £4 a session if you pay in advance or £5 a session if you drop in occasionally. Call Liz Watkins for more details on 0117 932 2819 or email LizWatkins121@hotmail, or call Nicola Bennetts on 0117 932 4696 or email [email protected]

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CAROLS, MINCE PIES AND A TOAST FOR CHRISTMAS

AT THE WHITE HART WEDNESDAY 18TH DECEMBER @7.30 pm

To get Christmas off to a good start everyone in Bitton is invited to the White Hart to enjoy carols and a complimentary mince pie – plus the chance to support Ryan and the White Hart team with the purchase of seasonal good cheer at the bar. All ages welcome.

Beforehand, carol singers will meet at the Christmas Tree at 6.45pm and sing carols around the village to bring a touch of Christmas to those who are housebound. Carol sheets will be provided but wrap up warm and bring a torch.

From the parish register October 19 Wedding Hannah Claire Cutting & Stuart Andrew Rogers November 3 Baptism Amelia Jane Annette House

14 Focal Point, December 2013 St Mary’s Matters ur service on the last Sunday in October was a celebration of Dick Honeywell, our organist for 50 O years. We enjoyed a wonderful service, ending with a birthday cake provided by Anne Carrington, which we shared in anticipation of his 90th birthday on December 5. Turn to page 18 to read Nicola Bennetts’ interview with Dick. It is over a year since we had the village meeting to discuss our church’s future and place in the community. So, has anything happened? Well, yes! The church has been open every day since January. Pete Midgley has set up a new website with links to village events - www.stmarysbitton.org.uk Nicola Bennetts has launched a community choir. They meet in church on Friday evenings so the hope of making St Mary’s the heart of a community of living stones is under way. We wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Barbara Merritt & Jim Heavens Churchwardens

St Mary’s Church Hogmanay Party & Watch Night Service Tuesday 31st December from 7.30pm

Join us in the Church Hall as we celebrate the coming New Year with Eightsome Reel Dancing, led by Ken & Jill Gibson. There will be entertainment with comedy magician Richard Ballinger and a cold buffet with soft drinks provided. Bring your own alcohol. We will stroll down to St Mary’s Church at 11.50pm for the service.

Tickets from Ruth on 0117 909 3378 or Annette on 0117 932 6352 Adults £10 and children £7.50 (3-12 years)

15 Focal Point, December 2013 News from Upton URC Stuart Turner researched Upton’s history for the Remembrance service at the chapel et me start by painting a picture of Upton around 1914. The Watts Family had moved into Manor Farm L and Barton Farm. Annie Hardwick and her niece ran Upton Farm, John Parker, a fruit grower, and his wife Beatrice were at Upton House, together with three daughters, a cook, nurse, housemaid and coachman. George Smith ran the Upton Inn. Colonel John Woodward, Commander of the 4th Glosters, was living at Upton Lea. Most other people from the village worked in the paper mill or one of the farms. At the start of 1914, Thomas Gibbs, born in , was 69. He had worked at the local paper mill, been a stationary engine driver and was now trying to make ends meet as a small farmer. His wife, Sarah Ann, was also 69. She was born in North Stoke and had four children, of whom one died young. To help out she had been a dressmaker and at the start in 1914, was a general grocer. Her boys, Frederick and Francis, had moved away in search of work. Her daughter, Priscilla and her family were still at home. Now 33, Priscilla was married to a boot riveter from Common called Maurice Harding. Together with their daughter Bessie, 18, and son Bertram,17, a market gardener, they all lived at The Yews in Upton and walked up the footpath twice on a Sunday to services at the chapel. On the outbreak of the war, Bert joined up in the autumn of 1914 when he was just 17. He enlisted in , became Private 28084 in the Gloucestershire Regiment, and was placed in the 2nd/5th Battalion. This was a Home Service unit intended to provide service in the UK replacing the first regiments posted to Belgium and France. So this young boy, who had probably never been more than five miles from home

16 Focal Point, December 2013 found himself in Northampton, then Chelmsford and in February 1916 in Tidworth on Salisbury Plain. Finally came the dreaded day and on May 23, 1916, he landed in France, just before the Battle of the Somme. But unlike so many, he survived and went on to fight in many other battles; in 1916 Fromelles, in 1917 Ancre, the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line, Langemarck and Cambrai. On December 6, 1917, a night flying aircraft dropped a bomb on an ammunition dump, killing Bert’s friend Arthur Shergold, from the Grange in Bitton, who had enlisted with him. In 1918 Bert fought at St Quentin, the Somme Crossings, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bethune, Selle and Valciennes. Sadly he was also killed, probably as a result of friendly artillery fire, on August 11, 1918 - his 21st birthday. He is buried in Merville Cemetery. His father had died in 1917 and his mother Priscilla was never told any detail about his service or the manner of his death. She died in 1955 in Kingswood. His sister Bessie, known as Great Granny Harding, lived at Hanging Hill Cottages in Upton and continued to be devastated every Armistice Day until she died. One of her grandchildren continues to live locally. When I think of wars, I think about millions of lives lost. But each life is one individual person with one name. And for me the person who appears on our war memorial as B Harding will now always be Bert from The Yews. What’s in all the names on our war memorial? Aubrey Meads Play Area After two years of delays, it now seems that the neglected Aubrey Meads Play Area could by the spring be turned into a facility that Bitton can be proud of and families can enjoy. Natural playground, play area and landscape designers Jane’s Pond have drawn up plans and funding is being applied for. We’ll have more details in the next Focal Point.

17 Focal Point, December 2013 In the spotlight: Dick Honeywell o pocket money unless you do your music practice. So N young Richard Honeywell learnt to play the piano – and before he was ten he was playing hymns on the harmonium in chapel. Years later he taught himself to play the organ. It’s as church organist that Bitton folk know Dick Honeywell, pictured right. He’s played at St Mary’s for over 50 years, but that’s only one aspect of a full and busy life. Born in Cornwall in 1923, Dick spent his first five years on his grandfather’s farm. No gas or electricity, water had to be fetched in buckets from the village pump and, as for the loo, there was a privy out in the barn. School was a two-mile walk there and two miles back again each day. Eventually when Dick’s father, who was in the Navy, had a shore job, the family moved to Saltash, to a house with gas lights (very modern) and, nearby, a grammar school. Dick’s school certificate results were good enough for him to go on to university but that cost money and so was out of the question. Instead he got a job at the naval dockyard. But by the time Dick was 17, Britain was at war; he applied to join the RAF. After square bashing and basic training, he was posted to Canada where he learnt to fly on bi-planes. He expected to have some say in his next move but he graduated so well that he was selected to train as a navigator. Next stop was Ireland where he became a co-pilot in sea-planes. What followed was responsibility – at the age of only 19 taking a new plane out to Ceylon. Then promotion and more

18 Focal Point, December 2013 responsibility – patrols over the Atlantic, escorting the Crown Prince of Norway back to Norway, and finally flying troops out to the Far East and bringing others home. How do you follow such an action-packed war service? Dick went to college and got an engineering degree. He played rugby. He passed the initial trial for the England squad – who knows what might have happened had he not injured his shoulder? He was taken on by Esso and remained with them until his retirement. He became a JP. He went on flying – with the RAF volunteer reserve – until he was 65. In a life so full of achievements, what, I wondered, made him most proud? His family. Dick met Toni at a youth club when they were teenagers. They were married in 1943 and had 58 happy years together until Toni died. She was a wonderful wife and an ideal mother. As for their six children – Jane, Chris, Jo, Martin, Sue and Tom – they have done well in their chosen fields; likewise their 16 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. It doesn’t end there – since 2001 Dick has found happiness with his new partner, Mary. He has a lot to celebrate when he reaches his 90th birthday on December 5. Congratulations, Dick, and happy birthday! Nicola Bennetts

Tea Club We meet on the first and third Tuesdays in the month at the church hall from 2.30pm to 4pm. Everyone is welcome

Tuesday, December 4 Christmas lunch at the Cross Hands, . Leaving Bitton at noon. You need to have booked with Jill Gibson to go

Tuesday, December 17 Christmas tea party with entertainment from Mike Renton & Julie

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Gardening with Rob Allen ow I know the last thing you are probably concerned about at this time of year is your garden and totally N understandably you may think, is there much that needs to be done? Well yes, there is. This is a perfect time of the year to prune deciduous trees and shrubs and if the weather allows, try to finish any winter digging, clean paths of wet leaves and moss and do repairs to that shed or fence that you may have been putting off. And remember the birds who may need help with feeding if we have a bad winter, though after the wonderful summer there is a bumper crop of fruits and berries available. Plants to enjoy this month are Winter Jasmine, Viburnum and Bodnantense Dawn, and, of course, the seasonal holly and ivy which this year are bearing masses of berries. From the vegetable plot, crops to enjoy carrots, swede, parsnips, leeks, cabbage and love ’em or hate’ em Brussels sprouts. Here's to a wonderful Christmas to you all. Rob A barn dance in Bitton Dickensian mist drifted off the river, lending an eerie feel to Bitton. Despite this dark and dank A November evening, the Bitton Recreational Ground hall slowly filled with people of all ages, from four years old to many of us at the farther end of the spectrum. A barn dance is a great social event, and laughter filled the hall alongside the country music which had everyone’s feet tapping. Hot and exhausted, the delicious food provided us

20 Focal Point, December 2013 with a welcome respite from the energetic dancing; local sausages in rolls, together with fruit-filled crumbles made by Barbara Cooney. We danced on until twenty past eleven before the hall slowly emptied. In the past year this new hall, erected and maintained by the football club with the support of appointed local trustees, has become a warm and friendly place. Midway during the evening, children flooded in, seeking warmth and refreshment after their game of foot ball outside. Our thanks go to all those responsible for maintaining and running this sports centre for the benefit of young people. Brenda Claxton Simply the Best ho was the best footballer ever, Grandad?” W Jude asked me this question recently, naming Ronaldo and Messi as his favourites for the role. When I was his age and we didn’t know about so many foreign footballers, Sir Stanley Matthews would have been my choice but as I grew older, other names arose like Pele, Maradona, Sir Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, Sir Bobby Moore and Denis Law. By what criteria do we decide who is the best - goals scored, goals stopped, unique touches of skill, trophies won? In the end I think we choose one footballer simply because in some undefined way they have a particular appeal to us personally. My answer to Jude was George Best because of his prodigious natural talent that brought a beauty and grace to the game perhaps never seen before or since. Alex Ferguson supports me, being quoted as saying he was “unquestionably the greatest”, a genius whose maverick qualities merely added substance to his legendary status.

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There are many stories to illustrate his ability to astound with his talents and I heard a new one just the other day when I attended the Gloucestershire County Cricket Lovers’ Society. The speaker was Jim Cumbes, who reminded us that as well as having a distinguished cricketing career, he kept goal for several football clubs, including West Brom and Aston Villa. He was asked the same question as my grandson asked me, and his answer was the same as mine, telling this anecdote to illustrate his answer. Playing against Man United, he noted that Best had the ball on the halfway line with several players still to beat. Cumbes looked away to check his angles and when he looked up again, Best was through the defence in front of him, slotting the ball home into his goal. Can I recommend as a Christmas gift for sports fans yet another retelling of the Best story, Immortal - The Approved Biography of George Best, by Duncan Hamilton. Rovi Retsoc November’s quiz answers The answers to our last quiz about chairs and seating were as follows, with the alternatives allowed in brackets: 1. Carver (Chippendale), 2. Easy, 3. Sedan (said Anne), 4. Bath, 5. Bentwood (Curule), 6. Director’s, 7. Chaise Longue, 8. Ladderback (Chair Lift), 9. Throne/High chair, 10. Chippendale (Toilet seat/Bikini chair), 11. Stool (Garden/ Potting/Nursing chair) 12. Bench seat, 13. Ottoman, 14. Deck (Club), 15. Rocking chair (Saddle Back),1,6. Bean Bag (Bucket/Litter/Sedan), 17. Wing Chair, (Glider), 18. Recliner, 19. Chesterfield, 20. Dentist’s chair. Some of you came very close but well done to Martin Hetzel, the Perrett/Godwin team and Jan Wookey & Diane who got 20 out of 20.The winner this month is Martin. There’s an extra special Christmas prize up for grabs for the winner of the December quiz - see opposite page. Good luck!

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The Big Christmas Quiz This quiz has cryptic and factual clues and anagrams, and if you take the first letter of each answer in the order in which they appear, it will spell out a seasonal phrase. All clues concern Christmas and include references to carols, pantos and general objects, facts or words associated with the season; © indicates cryptic clues. Please email answers to [email protected] or send them to editor Becky Feather at 18 Church Road, Bitton, by December 13 (also the deadline for copy for the next edition). 1. Girl's name associated with Christmas 2. Father Christmas received such socks from Cousin Violet! 3. Bird recalling a dependable car? © 4. Music to this carol was composed by Gustav Holst 5. Date of St Nicholas Day (Number first) 6. He reputedly made the first Christmas crackers (Christian name) 7. Foul relative appearing at Christmas? © 8. The boy's at home! © 9. Garment associated with provisions? © 10. Is he annoyed by plain speaking? © 11. Smoking instruments busily employed on this day of Christmas 12. Speechless cavalier? © 13. Old-fashioned news format 14. Common name for Hedera helix 15. One of Santa's reindeer 16. What came upon the midnight clear? 17. Author of the Father Christmas Letters (Surname) 18. I c uu bid on jill (anag) 19. Dickensian miser (Christian name) 20. being yule paste (anag) Name: ………………….. Contact: ......

23 Focal Point, December 2013 Green Belt development anger There have been objections to plans to build two homes with garages on the woodland in the centre of Bitton, right. The plans for the site, which contains beech, hawthorn, willow, ash and cherry laurel trees, have been lodged with South Glos Council by JJH (Building Developments) Ltd. The developers say the site on the corner of Kings Square is an appropriate infill site, even though it is Green Belt. They say the trees are poor quality, overwhelm the street and physically divide the village. But parish councillors have objected “vehemently” as the site lies in both the Green Belt and Bitton Conservation Area and proposes the loss of a large number of trees. The residents’ association has also objected as the site is Green Belt, while concern has been raised by some local residents that the new access would take away valuable on-road parking spaces. Looking Back…December 1953 In the Bitton Parish Magazine this month, the vicar of St Mary’s, the Rev Albert Jenkins, told readers he had decided to hold a celebration of Holy Communion on Christmas Eve. He wrote: “I know of some of our people who prefer this service and at Christmas go to the nearest church for the Midnight Celebration. Therefore it is to be hoped that it will fulfil a need. It must, however, be regarded as experimental, and its existence must depend upon its success this year.” This was also the month that…Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh began their tour of New Zealand. Next month: Life in Bitton in January 1977

24 Focal Point, December 2013 RECIPE FILE Amaretti Biscuits & Christmas Trifle

There is always a lot to prepare for Christmas which is why this trifle is a great addition to the menu. I like to make the biscuits for this pudding as the extras can be served as treats. The trifle is delicious, simple to prepare and can be served as a pudding on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Silvana

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Amaretti Biscuits (makes 12)

2 free range egg whites 50g/1¾oz ground almonds 1 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting 1 lemon, zest only

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. 2. Place the egg whites into a large bowl and whisk to stiff peaks. 3. Gently fold the almonds, lemon zest and icing sugar into the egg whites. 4. Place small spoonfuls of the mixture onto a non-stick baking sheet Transfer to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. 5. Remove and leave to cool on the baking sheet. To serve, place the biscuits onto a serving plate and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Christmas Trifle ingredients (serves 6-8)

1 packet trifle sponges (ladies’ fingers) 2 measures of Disaronno (Amaretto). Two tablespoons for those who want a little alcohol or two splashes for the more frivolous! 2 punnets of fresh raspberries or strawberries 250ml vanilla flavoured custard - you can make your own or use shop-bought if you are pushed for time. Make sure it is not too runny, whichever you choose. 200ml double cream, whipped 50g Amaretti biscuits, crushed (see recipe above)

Method 1. Lay the sponge fingers flat in a bowl. Pour over the liqueur so the sponges soak it up, but not so much that they're over- saturated. 2. Cover the soaked sponge with raspberries, pour over the vanilla custard, top with the whipped double cream and refrigerate for a couple of hours. 3. Just before serving, sprinkle with the crushed Amaretti biscuits.

26 Focal Point, December 2013 Bitton WI reports ur talk for November was on Food for a Georgian Christmas, writes Doreen Lindup. Food historian Jean O Seymour looked at the 1760s in Bath. Many of the houses were built for the tourist trade - townhouses for the summer season and taking the spa waters - so the surviving recipes reflect a wealthy lifestyle. Large-scale entertaining was a challenge as flour needed sieving to remove grit, sugar was in the cone and needed breaking and crushing, butter cost £3 per pound and as there was no raising agent, egg whites had to be beaten. There were soups of asparagus, oysters, beef, and many vegetables, but few potatoes. There were fish courses - skate, flounder, eels. But the main dish was the Christmas Pie. This was a huge pastry - the side and lid a good inch thick. Often the lid was removed and revealed the contents - turkey, goose, pigeon, partridge, woodcocks and hare meat. Sparrows were made into dumplings. After that, the tablecloths, which were quite messy as they were used to wipe mouths and fingers, would be removed before the banquet or dessert. There were fruit dumplings, figgy pudding, plum puddings as well as delicate ices, jellies, syllabubs, cheese and port. Women were able to join the men for this course. Our next meeting is our Christmas meal on December 9. Writes Terena Sterry: At our October meeting, Nicola Bennetts talked to us about Christian Aid. Nicola is responsible for running the local Christian Aid collection and is a volunteer teacher for the charity. Her work takes her into clubs and schools where she is able to talk and show slides of the wonderful work that Christian Aid does across the world. Nicola has first-hand experience of where the money donated goes as she has self-funded visits to areas where help has been given, including Peru.

27 Focal Point, December 2013 Bitton , 200 years ago Mike Gates on churches and chapels in the 19th century here were no fewer than 13 chapels built in Bitton Parish in the 19th century. Some still survive and T support congregations, but why were so many built when there was the magnificent St Mary’s? Bitton Parish took in much of Kingswood, and Willsbridge, so parishioners would have to travel as far as three miles to St Mary’s. Evangelist George Whitefield first preached to the coal miners in 1739 in the open air at Hanham Mount. He reached the hearts and minds of the many miners without a church. Evangelicalism, made up of Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Quakers, swept across the West Country. The revival signalled a more personal approach to religious life that rejected ‘worldly’ pleasures in favour of a more devoted lifestyle. But another reason the Anglican Church had failed to convince working people was the social divide. The vicar of St Mary’s, the Rev HT Ellacombe, lived in a large house with five servants, whereas local people lived in tumbledown, over- crowded cottages. He had been educated at Oxford while most of his parishioners had no education except Sunday school. At Oxford he dined at four and had to appear in breeches with knee buckles and white silk stockings, says Arthur W Hill’s biography of Ellacombe. At 18 shillings a pair, these stockings cost more than a working man’s weekly wage - a local miner earned about 13 shillings a week. It further contrasts with John Harvey, who at the age of 13 worked at the Crown Pit at Warmley, and in evidence to the Royal Commission on Children’s Employment in 1841 said he had never owned a pair of shoes or stockings. We have lost many chapels but are left with a heritage that has changed the shape and character of our landscape and in one small way this is down to the cost of the vicar’s stockings!

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Key to churches and chapels

A: Warmley Congregational Church, M: United Reformed 1907 (founded 1845) Church, 1811 B: Bridgeyate Methodist Church, 1810 N: Mission, 1904 C: Warmley Tower Methodist Church, O: Longwell Green Free Methodist 1858 Church, 1856 D: Roman Catholic Church (Wesleyan P: Longwell Green Methodist Church Methodists), 1833 c.1872 E: Independent Methodist Church, Q: Bitton Methodist Church, 1859 1899 R: Bitton Wesleyan Chapel, 1834 F: North Common Methodist Church, S: Upton Cheyney United Reformed 1879 Church, 1834 G: Salem, 1871 T: United Reformed H: Cadbury Heath Pentecostal Church, c.1906 Church, 1963 1: Holy Trinity, Warmley, 1821 I: Cloverlea Road, c.1906 2: St Mary’s, Bitton, C11th J: Oldland Gospel Hall, 1927 3: Christ Church, Hanham 1842 K: Oldland Common Methodist 4. St George Church, Hanham Church, 1871 Abbots, C14th L: Methodist Chapel, c.1900 5. St. Anne’s, Oldland, 1830

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