A History of the Young Men’s Christian Association in Norfolk and Lowestoft by Charlotte Barringer and Peter Larter Norwich Y.M.C.A. Main Entrance. The doorway with the four upward steps for all young people who enter it; upward progress – spiritually, socially, intellectually and physically. YMCA APPEAL SLOGAN 1914 1 First published in the United Kingdom in September 2007 by YMCA Norfolk, 48 St. Giles, Street, Norwich, NR2 1LP Copyright © Charlotte Barringer and Peter Larter All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright holders. Charlotte Barringer and Peter Larter have asserted the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0- Printed by Hollinger Print Limited 12 Burnett Road, Sweet Briar Ind. Estate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 2BS 2 Contents Page Foreword by the Bishop of Norwich 5 Photographs and illustrations 6 The Origins of the YMCA London 1844 9 The Beginning of Norwich YMCA 1856 to 1872 12 Acquiring new Premises 1873 to 1899 22 Into the New Century 1900 to 1914 30 Service in the Two World Wars 1914 to 1956 37 A Period of Growth and Expansion of Activities 1957 to 1976 65 Period of Rapid Change 1980 to 1998 73 1999 and the New Millennium 1999 to 2006 78 List of Patrons for 2006 Appeal 81 Officers and Trustees of the Norwich Y.M.C.A. as at January 2007 84 Other Associations Cromer YMCA 86 Fakenham YMCA 90 King’s Lynn YMCA 92 Lowestoft YMCA 101 Swaffham YMCA 113 Thetford YMCA 114 Yarmouth YMCA 119 Acknowledgments 124 Bibliography 125 3 4 5 List of photographs and illustrations 1. Portrait of George Williams in later life. 2. King’s Weigh House Chapel, Fish Street Hill, London c1870s. 3. Portrait of Jeremiah James Colman 1830-1898 4. St. Mary’s Baptist Chapel, Norwich c 1939. 5. Guildhall Hill, Norwich showing Newbegin’s tobacconists shop c1845. 6. Portrait of George White as a young man. 7. Guildhall Hill Norwich, site of Newbegin’s tobacconists shop c 1936. 8. St. Giles Street, Norwich where YMCA had rented rooms in 1900. 9. YMCA in White Hart Street, Thetford c1910. 10. YMCA Crane House, South Quay, Yarmouth. 11. Advertisement for the post of YMCA General Secretary in 1886. 12. 48 St. Giles Street, Norwich façade with YMCA in gold lettering c1930. 13. Title page of YMCA Magazine “Progress”. 14. Plantation Garden, Earlham Road, Norwich c 1897. 15. Poster for the International Bazaar and Garden Party July 1892. 16. Portrait of Geoffrey Fowell Buxton, President of Norwich YMCA 1899-1906. 17. YMCA Holiday Home, West Street, Cromer. 18. YMCA Norwich billiard lounge after restoration c1912. 19. YMCA Norwich Colman reading room c1912. 20. Funeral cortege of Sir George White M.P. May 15th 1912. 21. Victims of the August 1912 floods at Nos. 20-22 Oak Street, Norwich. 22. YMCA marquee at Lowestoft Training Camp 1912. 23. Troops relaxing in the YMCA marquee at the Lowestoft Training Camp 1912. 24. YMCA Staff at the Lowestoft Training Camp 1912. 25. Design by Edward Boardman for YMCA hostel fronting Bethel Street 1914. 26. Details of the Citizens’ Committee in support of the Public Appeal in 1914. 27. Cardboard replica of model clock mounted outside Agricultural Hall 1914. 28. Poster advertising a YMCA Study Hut used during First World War. 29. Postcard showing self-assembly cardboard YMCA Hut. 30. Soldiers’ Social organized by YMCA at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich. 31. Convalescent troops in the garden of 48 St. Giles Street, Norwich, c1916. 32. No.50 St. Giles Street, Norwich purchased by YMCA in 1919. 33. Portrait of H H Princess Helena Victoria. 34. Garden at rear of YMCA showing gym and single storey extension c1936 35. Line of tea wagons and mobile library, Chantry Road. 36. Volunteer relaxing on a YMCA tea car c1941. 37. YMCA tea car in action in bomb-damaged Walpole Street, February 1941. 38. Soldiers having a tea break around a YMCA tea car c1944. 39. Volunteer Staff at the YMCA Canteen in Prince of Wales Road, c1945. 40. Citation for the Order of the Red Triangle presented to Mrs. Clarke. 41. USAF Liberator bomber nicknamed “The YMCA Flying Service”. 42. USAF crew taking refreshments from YMCA tea car. 43. Peter Cody appointed General Secretary of Norwich YMCA in 1947. 44. A Full Members’ Board Meeting in progress c1952. 45. Volley-ball in the old gymnasium c1954. 6 46. Four boys enjoying the Summer Camp at Mundesley, Norfolk. 1954. 47. Summer Camp at Mundesley showing the wooden Meeting and Canteen hut. 48. A double bedroom before modernisation in 1956. 49. Lord Mayor greeting guests at the YMCA’s 100th Birthday Celebration 1956. 50. Guests at the International Goodwill Supper 29th November 1956. 51. Old Committee room used as temporary offices during renovations. 52. A rather cramped corner of the old dining room c1954. 53. New spacious restaurant for hostel residents and members c1957. 54. Backyard showing the single storey extension erected in the 1930’s. 55. Same extension with additional second storey providing 43 bedrooms, 1958. 56. Lord Mackintosh at the opening ceremony of the New Wing 1958. 57. Day Campers waiting to board coach to Swannington Camp site 1964. 58. Day Campers at Norwich Canoe Centre on the River Wensum, 1964. 59. Swannington Campers after running an obstacle course, 1964. 60. Swannington Camper climbing out of a ditch on obstacle course, 1964. 61. Swannington Campers trying their hand at watercolour painting, 1964. 62. Swannington Campers queuing for their lunches, 1964. 63. Swannington Camp singsong around the campfire, 1964. 64. Demolition of the old gymnasium facing Bethel Street. 1961. 65. New Sports Hall viewed from Bethel Street 1962. 66. Interior of the new Sports Hall being used as a gymnasium. 67. Visit by Minister of Employment, Michael Forsyth to the YMCA 1992. 68. H RH Prince Charles talking to residents at YMCA 1994. 69. John Drake, YMCA Chief Executive Officer, created Sheriff of Norwich, 2006. 70. Presentation to Bill Balfour for counselling work at Norwich Prison, 2004. 71. Architect’s drawing of New YMCA to be built at Bus Station, Norwich. 72. Officers and Trustees of the Norwich YMCA as at January 2007 73. Cromer YMCA’s rented rooms above Jarrold’s Store in Church Street c1910. 74. Fakenham YMCA had extensive rooms in Norwich Street in 1915. 75. Kings Lynn Community Centre and Sports Hall being repaired after a fire 76. Lord Somerleyton opening a new YMCA Hostel for Kings Lynn 1990 77. New YMCA Hostel in Columbia Way, Kings Lynn 1990. 78. Lowestoft YMCA Hall in London Road North c1904. 79. Lowestoft YMCA Orchestra, c1930s 80. Lowestoft YMCA “open house” for all men in uniform, c1914. 81. The Clyffe Boarding Establishment before the Second World War. 82. Residents of The Clyffe Holiday Centre run by YMCA National Council. 83. The sad end to the Lowestoft YMCA Hall when it was sold in 1978. 84. Toren House, the first YMCA Hostel in Lowestoft, 1978. 85. Swaffham YMCA decorated for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, 1897. 86. Thetford YMCA opened in Magdalen Street, on 17th February 1912. 87. Advert for Yarmouth YMCA Holiday Residence and Seaside Home, c1900. 88. Yarmouth YMCA, Crane House on South Quay, c1907. 89. Sunday tea for Armed Forces in Crane House during First World War 7 8 The Origins of the YMCA The aim of the Young Men’s Christian Association, founded in London in 1844, was ‘to influence young men to spread the Redeemer’s kingdom amongst those by whom they were surrounded’. An aspiration which gradually broadened over the years but the YMCA has maintained its Christian focus. The world-wide YMCA movement began in a small room above a shop in St Paul’s Churchyard in central London. On 6th June 1844 George Williams, founder of the YMCA, met 12 other Christian young men above the premises of the drapers, Hitchcock and Rogers, for the first meeting. The son of a Somerset farmer he was apprenticed, at the age of 14, to a draper in Bridgwater and whilst there became a committed member of the Zion Congregational Church. In 1841 he moved to London to work for Hitchcock and Rogers. (1) George Williams in later life In London George Williams worshipped at the King’s Weigh House Congregational Church, which was then meeting in Fish Street Hill. He soon 9 began holding prayer meetings with a few of his colleagues. At the time about 150,000 young men were working long hours in the London drapery business, living on low incomes in very cramped conditions. Much of their spare time was spent in the local taverns or gambling houses and according to a shop assistant at the time who went on to be a clergyman, ‘no class was more degraded and dissolute, none were sunk deeper in ungodliness and dissipation, than the shop men of London’. George Williams and his friends decided that they would try to help their fellow shop workers and so the YMCA began. It was not the first society of its kind, other Christian groups had been set up for young men, but none expanded so quickly. The strong evangelical Christianity of its founding members, who were of more than one denomination, was a firm basis for success. The time and place of the YMCA’s beginning were also important.