Opened a place of worship at Chapel Street in 1829 and closed
18th April 2006.
Sunday School Room
Above photos taken just before the close of the Mr Herbert
F Stone (Bert) and Mr Ronald
Chapel 18th April 2006. William Hubbard (Ron) 20th April 2006.
Sunday School Anniversary, Memories from 1929 by Eileen Oakes
One of the highlights of the year
The great day was always the first Sunday in June, when June days were
warm and sunny
For weeks before that day, preparations were in progress. Recitations had
to be found by Sunday School teachers or-parents.
As a child I remember learning two, one for afternoon and one for the
evening. It was not much of a worry for me fortunately, but for some it
was a nightmare. It takes a lot of nerve to stand on a platform in front
of a crowded building, knowing they are all looking at you and recite what
you have tried to remember.
The Wesleyan Reform Chapel
in Chapel Street was quite a large building, could seat 100 people in the
body of the Chapel, it had a large
gallery one end, also Choir stalls and pulpit the other end. For the great
day forms were put beneath the gallery, also along aisle in the middle
Chapel. There were up to 60 children in later years after the war years.
All friends and family came,
also other members from local villages. Wonderful tea parties that day!
Early tea because if you did not get your seat in Chapel by 6 0 clock you
couldn't get one for 6.30 service.
Cawston Silver Band
attended in the evening and played outside Chapel before the service,
after evening service they played on Market Hill.
A big platform was erected
both sides of the pulpit for the children. Chairs and forms were put in
place for them. The Choir consisted of regulars and friends from other
parishes, about twenty in all.
The children were dressed in
their best clothes, new dresses for the-girls,-sometimes one forthe afternoon, and one for the evening. Boys had new suits with
shinning shoes, no trainers in those days. '
The Superintendent, teachers
of the Sunday School worked hard for weeks before the great day,listening and helping with
recitations. Also the organist would go over the hymns with the children,
they usually did one on their own. One evening in the week was
given over for rehearsals.
The Methodist Chapel friends had their Sunday School Anniversary at the
Wesleyan building last Sunday in May, the bigger building to accommodate
their families and friends.
The same thing applied to
their teachers at Sunday School, one evening each week to rehearse,
different program and hymns, but all members of the choir supported each
others anniversary. Then the wait with anticipation for the day out to
Great Yarmouth, paid for by monies raised by the anniversary.
Coaches were ordered from
Red Car Buses (Cromer) I think, sometimes as many as 5. The children met
in the Sunday School room before leaving, each child was given a sixpenny
piece, and an orange in my day. My daughter says in her day it was two
shillings. These extras were given by some business people in the village.
It was the only time some of
us went to the seaside as not many people had cars.
Trains went to Yarmouth
some days, but you had to change at Wroxham,
when you got to Yarmouth the station was a long way out of the
Town.
Oh the memories of sand in cucumber
sandwiches! Mothers made sandwiches to take with them, to buy was too
expensive. Some went to the Circus in the afternoon; seats had to be
booked during the morning. Fun Fair was always popular of course, most
children saved up for this before the day.
The return
journey was less boisterous, tired sunburned children having had a lovely
day, made all the worries of Anniversary Day worth it.
August 2008
Wesleyan Reform Sunday School in Cawston in the 1950s and
1960s.
kindly written & supplied by Mr Michael Yaxley, June 2006.
What was it that made the Wesleyan
Reform Sunday School in Cawston so appealing in the 1950s and 1960s? Was it the
social gathering of children of all ages in the Sunday School classroom on a
Sunday morning eager to learn about the Bible? Was it the annual summer
Anniversary service which saw an over-crowded chapel? Or was it the Christmas
party or the annual day trip to the Norfolk coast in the summer?
In the 1950s and 1960s about 20-30
children dressed in their Sunday outfits met in the Wesleyan Reform Sunday
School classroom every Sunday morning . The classroom was situated at the back
of the main chapel. The girls were seated on the left and the boys on the right
hand side. The youngest were seated at the front and the oldest at the back of
the classroom. Silence usually fell rather abruptly when the Superintendent
announced the start of the service. The lay teachers would take their place in
the rows next to the children. An important part of the traditional Sunday
School service was the Bible teachings given to the children in small age
groups. The Bible was explained in easy terms that we could all understand.
This was not only an opportunity to learn about religion but the teachers helps
us read, understand and communicate effectively by discussing the Bible texts
which we read aloud together.
One of the most important days in the
life of a Sunday School child at the Wesleyan Reform school was the
presentation of a Bible on reaching the age of 15. The presentation was big
event for each child and he/she was then encouraged to attend the adult services
that took part in the adjacent room.
A Sunday School Anniversary service was
held every year in early summer. The six weeks leading up the Anniversary saw a
busy time at the chapel. In the Sunday School classroom we practised our
Anniversary pieces. The choir helped us sing the hymns and the chapel officials
we busy preparing the logistics for the event. On the day of the Anniversary
service we were all dressed in their best clothes and seated on a platform where
we sang the hymns and said our pieces. The afternoon Anniversary service saw an
almost full chapel. The evening Anniversary service was always overflowing with
people who stood at the back near the door and sometimes even on the street.
The Sunday School children were always supported by the adult choir and the
organist. We would say our piece in turn; the very young ones being supported
by the Sunday School superintendent. It was always professionally organised and
was an enormous success that was reflected in the big sum of money collected for
the support of the Sunday School.
Following the Anniversary, a Sunday
School outing was arranged in August, usually a trip to Great Yarmouth by
coach. On the day of the trip we all attended a short service at the chapel
when we were always given 10/- shillings to spend and were then accompanied to
the Market Place to join our parents who were already seated in the coach that
was waiting to take us to the coast for a day.
The winter social event was the Sunday
School Christmas party that always held on a Friday evening. There was always
lots of food and unusual games to play.
Many of us also attended the traditional
harvest thanksgiving festival service which always attracted a lot of outside
interest. Before the service we took garden produce by wheelbarrow to the
chapel. Great care was taken to ensure that there should be no packets, boxes
or tins seen in the chapel which was simply decorated with fresh produce from
the garden. A day or two after the harvest festival the produce was auctioned
in the Sunday School classroom using the old pounds, shillings and pence
system. This created a lot of fun.
In the 1950s and 1960s the Wesleyan
Reform Sunday School was an important institution in Cawston. It helped improve
literacy and religious knowledge and, arguably, enhanced the culture of school
children living in a small community.
These two websites offer some basic
information about the Wesleyan Reform church
Wesleyan Reform Chapel Service with Choir & Sunday School
1960
Reader- John Hill, Swanton Abbott. Organist Ivan Purdy
Choir Master Lenny Lee.
Top
Choir:-
Back Row, Left--Cecil Bellbody-- Ted Dack--Mary Howard--Trixie Lee--Louis Purdy.
Second Row, Left--Mrs Jones--Nora Lee--Phyliss Spooner--Ruby Cox--Gladys Gaff.
Back Row, Right--Jeffrey Lee-- Mr Maneer--Roy Lee--Mr Jones.
Front Row, Right--Eileen Oakes--Phoebe Carman--Daphne Fabb--Sylvia Howard--Mrs Dack
Sunday School:-
Back Row, Left--1/ ?---2/ Dawn Lee--3/?---4/Pat Keeler--5/Margaret Brownsell.
Front Row Left--John Cook--David Gaff--Steven Butler--Bernard Oakes--Bryan Clark
Anniversary 1963
Outing to Sandringham about 1965
Names left to right:-
(1) Marion Bellbody (2) ? --------- (3) Muriel Bellbody (4) Muriel Woods (5)
Cecil Bellbody
(6) Ted Dack (7) Phyllis Spooner (8) Percy Gaff (9) Mrs Dack (10) Gladys Gaff
(11) Ivan Purdy (12) Pauline Lee & Christine (13) Louisa Purdy (14)
Daphne Lee
(15) Geoffrey Lee (16) May Purdy (17) Trixie Lee (18) Lenny Lee (19)
?--------------
(20) Mrs Neeve (21) Miss Neeve (22 23 & 24 Not Known)
Children:- (1) ?-------- (2) David Gaff (3) ? D. Lee (Geaf) (4)? J.Lee (Geaf)
(5) Victor Purdy
Cawston Harmonica Band about 1937
Ocky Lee
Ivan Purdy
Percy Gaff
Harold Cook
George Fisher
Roland Groom
Charlie Jones
Billy Pask
Ken Norman
Cecil Bell
Stanley
Oakes Barbara
Jones Hazel
Jones Lenny
Lee
Hughie Groom
Geofrey Carman
The Cawston Harmonica Band was made up from members of the Cawston Wesleyan
Reform
Chapel and toured/played in other chapels in the area.
