St Andrews Church Newspapers 1944

Churches - Bevendean History Project

Newspaper Articles for St Andrews Church 1944

CHILDREN’S PARTY AT MOULSECOMBE
Guests of Home Guard

There was a happy party at St. Andrew’s Hall, Moulsecombe, on Saturday, when children whose fathers have been killed in action or who are prisoners of war were entertained by the Home Guard, assisted by members of the Patcham and Moulsecombe detachments of the Red Cross Society.

Some 70 children, whose ages ranged from three and a half to eleven years, were present. The arrangements were admirably made by a committee, with Lieutenant J. Quayle in charge.
There were games under the direction of Private Brooker and Mr C. Pecham, and entertainment was provided by a concert party and Mr Wickham’s performing dogs.
An excellent tea was served.
Thanks were expressed by Lieutenant Quayle to all members of his platoon for their financial support, the members of the Red Cross detachments for their help, and to all other helpers.
Lieutenant Colonel Frank Eastwood, officer commanding the 15th Sussex Battalion of the Home Guard, on behalf of the platoon, presented a cheque to Mr Sullings for the British Red Cross Prisoners of War Fund.
A 2s. 6d. National Savings stamp was presented to each child by Mrs Whiting, and the party concluded with a distribution of presents.
Brighton & Hove Herald – 29 January 1944

ACTIVITIES OF YOUTH
Area Conference at St Francis Hall Moulsecombe

Has the extension of youth work helped to reduce delinquency among young people?
Would it be desirable to make some form of youth activity compulsory for all young people in view of the number who promise to join an organisation but fail to do so, or, if they join, soon leave?
These were two of the many interesting questions dealing with activities among the young people which were submitted at a brains trust session held at a conference of young people arranged by the Brighton Youth Committee at Moulsecombe on Saturday.
The conference, the first of its kind, was held at St. Francis’ Hall Youth Centre, and was attended by representatives of practically every youth organisation in the area.

Volunteers Best Members

The reply to the first question was a definite “Yes,” but the second question gave rise to a difference of opinion among the members of the brains trust, and the view expressed that volunteers made the beat members was universally approved.
Another question was: Are any youth organisations given any priority as regards grants for “gym” kit? The answer was that no organisation receives preferential treatment; all are treated in the same manner.
All the questions gave rise to interesting discussion.
The question master was Mr C. J. Witten, who ably discharged his duties, and those comprising the brains trust were Councillor Miss D. E. Stringer (chairman of the Brighton Youth Committee), Councillor H. J. Robbins (chairman of the Brighton Education Committee). Councillor J. C. Sherrott, the Rev. Bransby A. H. Jones (Vicar of Moulsecombe), Mr A. H. Austin (Probation Officer for Brighton), and Mr Gordon C. Hector (secretary of the Hove Savings Committee).

Debt to Youth

Before the commencement of the brains trust session, there was an address on “The service of youth” by Councillor Sherrott. Expressing the opinion that youth has a right to demand certain things. Mr Sherrott said that during the last war a great debt was incurred to youth, and that debt had not been paid.
He suggested that one of the first things they have a right to demand is a homo fit to live in. which means everything in regard to the home. Their second right is free educational opportunity, and thirdly there is the right of an assurance of employment.
The Rev. Bransby Jones presided and welcomed the visitors, and said he was very pleased to see so many young people who were preparing themselves for great responsibilities In the near future.
During an interval tea was served, under the direction of Mrs A. Gardner sad members of the Woman’s Fellowship of St. Francis’ Church. In the evening there was dancing. Captain R. H. Bean being the M.C., and the music was played by the drum and bugle band of the Church Lads’ Brigade
The arrangements for the Conference were ably made by Captain A. Gardner (Church Army), Mr G. J. Holloway (Brighton youth secretary-organiser), and Miss M. I. Wade (assistant youth organiser).
Brighton & Hove Herald – 29 January 1944

MOULSECOMBE VICAR’S WORDS

The imminence and impending dangers of the Second Front are referred to by the Vicar of Moulsecombe (the Rev. B. A. H. Jones) in his parish magazine.
“Most of us at home pray for courage, for mercy, and for guidance in these last horrible stages of a horrible war,” the vicar writes. “We are most anxious not to betray our serving sons either now by cowardice, or in the post-war years by indolence. For their sakes we must sanctify ourselves and stand firm in a world where all moral values seem to be falling.”
“We endure austerity suits without trimmings, and other misfortunes (or don’t we?) because we feel we are sharing a little in our lads’ afflictions. In Lent we are asked to lead ‘austerity lives’ for forty days in honour of a Life once given for us.”
Brighton & Hove Herald – 12 February 1944

“Beating of the Bounds"
MOULSECOMBE'S OBSERVANCE NEXT TUESDAY

The recent appeal by the Bishop of Chichester for a more widespread observance of Rogation tide has evoked a general response throughout the diocese.
At Moulsecombe special efforts are being made to emphasise the significance of the season, and leading citizens and organisations will share in the perambulation of the parish on Tuesday next.
The procession, headed by Cross and choir, will start at 7 p.m. from the steps of St. Andrew's Church, Moulsecombe, where the vicar (the Rev, Bransby A. H. Jones) will receive the Bishop, the Mayor of Brighton (Councillor B. Dutton Briant) and others on the church steps. There the Bishop will ask a blessing for absent ones, and the procession will then pass on to the village green, where he will invoke a blessing for the assembled children (described by the vicar as "Moulsecombe's greatest treasure of growing things”.
Next follows a visit to the Corporation Gardens in Moulsecombe Place, and at a point in the Avenue a prayer will be said for allotments, for workers, and homes. The closing service, timed for 8 p.m., will take place in Lower Bevendean farmyard, when a blessing will be pronounced on all farms, crops, and animals—two prize plough horses being led forward by Mr A. West.
Throughout this interesting ceremony of "beating of the bounds" of the parish, music will be provided by the Railway Home Guard band.
Brighton & Hove Herald – 13 May 1944

Ancient Custom Revived
BLESSING OF THE CROPS AT MOULSECOMBE

The ancient custom of blessing the crops was at Moulsecombe on Tuesday evening when a specia1 Rogationtide service at St. Andrew’s Church, drew a crowded and interested congregation, representative of all sections of the community.
It had been arranged that the “beating the bounds” be carried through with traditional ceremony. A procession was to have visited various parts of the district, but a last minute change was made in the plans, and the service was held in the church.
Here, by means of vivid word pictures, the Bishop of Chichester (Dr. G. K. A. Bell) took the congregation on an imaginary tour of the district, visiting in turn the church yard, where departed relatives were remembered, the village green, allotments and gardens, the meadows, the cornfields and the waters. He invoked blessings on the labours of all engaged in the cultivation of the soil, so that their work might result in abundant harvests.

“A Holy Vocation”

Speaking of the labour necessary to produce harvests, Dr. Bell pointed out that the cornfields represented the hardest kind of agricultural work. It was in the cornfield, he said, that we saw the goodness of God illustrated by His great bounty, and saw how much depended on then steady hard work and cooperation of man.
“The farmer and all those engage on work on the land”, he said, “are not only performing one of the most important human services to their fellow countrymen, but they are actually performing a work which is especially pleasing to God.
“On the land, which is God’s land, men and women who plough and till and do everything in all branches of agriculture are following a holy vocation and are practicing a real work of religion.”
The Mayor of Brighton (Councillor B. Dutton Briant), who was accompanied by the Mayoress, reminded the congregation that the service in which they were joining was something more than tradition – it was an act of faith.

Brightons Green Belt

The custom of blessing the crops had come down to them through the ages, but in more recent times it had not been observed in the great townships such as Brighton. “But Brighton has been fortunate in past years,” said the Mayor, “in that your city fathers thought to provide the town with what was termed a green belt. Moulsecombe is part of that green belt and also a child of Brighton, and Brighton is fond of Moulsecombe.”
During the service appropriate prayers were said by the vicar (the Rev. Bransby A. H. Jones), and passages of scripture were read by the Rev. D. L. Couper (Bishops chaplain).
Among the organisations represented at the service were the Church Lads Brigade, Scouts, Guides, Rangers, Brownies, youth Fellowship and mothers Union. The railway Home guard band also attended, and at the close of the ceremony played selections.
Brighton & Hove Herald – 20 May 1944

MOULSECOMBE FIRST VICAR

Steps are being taken to provide a memorial in Moulsecombe Church to the late Rev. Leslie G. Berrington, who was the first vicar of the parish, from 1931 to 1934.
Writing of his predecessor, the present vicar (the Rev. Bransby A. H. Jones) says: “Coming when the parish was small, and the church a wooden hut, he saw the parish grow into thousands, and the new church built and consecrated. He set the foundations for seemly and orderly worship, and gathered round him a band of faithful friends and workers, many of whom still remain.”
Brighton & Hove Herald – 15 July 1944