THE POTTED HISTORY CONTINUED

An item from the August 1949 edition caught my eye: “Heavy demand for knickerbockers.” Apparently the choir had had a successful and happy trip to Paignton on July 26th. The weather was warm and this gave members a chance for bathing. (Daring!) “A good many ices were consumed: after tea several choristers explored the delights of the Pier, whilst one achieved fame by consuming a mysterious refreshment called Knickerbockers. This good person appeared none the worse for the experience.” Definitely a more light-hearted publication; it even included ‘August’s Laugh’: ‘The Short Story of Bere Ferrers’ Water Supply—Well, well, well!” No, the quality of humour hasn’t improved since! And there was a puzzle: “The following letters placed in their right order form a word: M E P U S H N O.” Answers on a postcard please...!

I haven’t managed to find out how long the Ferronian kept going, but it was at least until July 1954. In that month the Rector’s letter began: “Summer this year fell on Wednesday July 7th; since then we have been enjoying a very mild winter. But Summer coincided with the Church Fete and all was well… The pessimists were confounded, the optimists rewarded…” So summers weren’t all good then! The monthly puzzle was still going strong: T P I H O R L E C E S.

The next magazine I have a copy of is dated March 1967 (price 6d), and it is called Outlook. The Rector was Rev. Arthur Beddow. One item that will stir memories is a reference to the Aberfan Disaster Fund, for which £19-11-7d had been collected. There was also reference to the Anglican Methodist Joint Services: “This is another means of bringing a happy relationship between the churches”; and a report on the dedication of the Lady Chapel in St. Andrew’s Church to the late beloved Rector, the Rev. James Sharpe who had been in the parish for 34 years. Excitingly for mums, there was to be a meeting to start a playgroup in Bere Alston. (And it’s still going strong!)

There was an A5 size ‘Parish News’ during Rev. Allan Wakefield’s time, but it folded due to rising printing costs in December 1990. Fortunately it re-started in March 1991 as the A4 size Bere Link, initially as a church newsletter and being duplicated locally. It then expanded and has been a magazine for the whole community for several years. Having originally been produced by the Church of England, it became a joint effort between the Church of England and the United Church about fourteen years ago, and contributions are received from a large number of parish organisations.

The circulation continues to grow—as does the number of pages! Fortunately it is now produced on computer rather than the physical cut and pasting that used to happen!

If you would like to receive a copy, please contact the editor. And if you would like to contribute an article, news, joke — whatever — the closing date is the 10th of each month for the following month.

Ann Parsons, former editor

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