To start the year, the Rev. Hibbert began his letter with good wishes; "I wish all my readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Perhaps the 'prosperous' part of it seems rather inappropriate for the country is passing through a time which is to say the least is far from being a prosperous one. But we hope and trust that those responsible will endevour to use every means available to bring about a better state of affairs. It is a very big task and we must not be too impatient, but by our prayers and by our fortitude help those whose task is certainly a difficult and strenuous one. To bring back prosperity to our country. The problem is an international problem, and there lies the great difficulty of the situation. But problems are meant to be tackled and solved. If I write much more on this subject you will think that I am trying to take up the pen of the politician, and that is not what I want to do. Honestly, I do believe that if our politicians and industrial leaders would put a bit more Christianity into their politics these worldwide problems teeming full of difficulties would be a little nearer solution."

Space to Let

The lack of advertisers shows in 1932 with, each month, the whole back page remaining empty except for the words 'Space to let'.

One of the advertisers who did show their wares in the magazine offered the services of a draper, home furnisher, upholsterer, cabinet maker and undertaker all in one;

An anonymous poem (September)

"God has not promised, skies ever blue, Flower strewn pathways Always for you; God hath not promised Sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, peace without pain; But he hath promised Strength from above, Unfailing sympathy, Undying Love."

Further signs of recession in Enderby

In January, the vicar reflected on the impact of the depression on the finances of the parish magazine; "Owing to the trade depression there are not a great many firms who will advertise in periodicals such as Parish Magazines, but if I can make our magazine pay its way without endeavoring to clear a large profit I shall be satisfied. If any of our subscribers know of any firm who would care to take a half page or a quarter page advertisement, or even an eight part of a page, perhaps they will kindly let me know, and at any rate it is only fair to ask you that whenever possible you should support those who advertise in the columns of the magazine."

In September, Mrs. Hibbert wrote in the Mother's Union section; "Amidst all our joy and happy days, do not let us forget those less fortunate than ourselves, so many this year cannot afford to go away, not even for a day's outing, and so we offer a little prayer that strength will be given to them to bear the disappointment bravely, hoping that things will soon be brighter and a holiday forthcoming next year."

In October, the congregational social notice included the note; "Owing to the difficult times through which we are passing and money being scarce, we are charging only 6d. for admission by ticket which will include light refreshment."

Ask the vicar time

In February, the vicar mentions an innovation; "On Sunday evenings in Lent I shall try not to make my sermons too long in order to provide for a 5 minute instruction. I mentioned a while ago that I had provided in the tract case in Church some slips of paper for questions to be asked about the Christian faith, the church or any doubt that is troubling a member of the congregation, and then placed in the freewill offering box as a kind of question box for the time being, and I would endevour to answer such questions from the pulpit. It is an opportunity to be of assistance if people wish to be helped that way."

Illness in Enderby

In March , sickness afflicted the village; "The illness in the village (it seems to be a national epidemic) has not yet abated and it is responsible for the rather low attendencies at Church. Usually we get the best attendance at this time of the year but, of course, one cannot help being on the sick list. I do hope most sincerely that those who are ill will soon get well again, and those who have been ill, I would advise that they take care during the convalescent stage"

Enderby benevolent fund committee created

By November, earlier hopes of a turn up in the economy had gone and the effects of the recession on many in Enderby led to the creation of a benevolent fund;

"A benevolent fund committee has been formed in the village, fully representative of all organisations both religious and secular, to needy and necessitous parishioners who are or may be in dire straits financially owing to the industrial depression. It is feared that much hardship may be the lot of many in the village during the coming winter, and so one may expect that the benevolent fund committee will have a busy time in organising efforts to obtain funds for the dispensing of help where it is particularly needed. The Rev. S W Townley is the chairman of this committee, and Mrs. Church is Hon. Secretary to whom information should be given as to persons needing assistance."

The annual 'congregational social'

Each year the church had a 'get together' and each year the men and the women would alternate in arranging it (one year the 'young people' did it). In 1932 it was the men's turn;

"The men of the congregation are responsible for the Social this time and are hoping for a large amount of support from members of the congregation. The age limit is still to be sixteen as we have found on previous occasions that so many adults came that it would be impossible to cater for the young people as well..... we do hope that it will be a real social and bring member of the congregation together in the real spirit of friendliness and true fellowship which is so essential to a congregation in any parish. The committee are anxious for me to state that tickets can be obtained from the post office, and gentlemen members of the church and others serving on the committee will have a supply to dispose of. Tickets must be obtained not later than Wednesday, October 5th, as otherwise it would be difficult to know how many to cater for."

In December, the vicar wrote a quick and belated mention of how it went. "I forgot to mention in last month's magazine about the congregational social on October 7th, organised by the men of the congregation. Mr. Jackson acted as a first rate MC, and towards the close of the evening Mrs. Hibbert moved a vote of thanks to the men for entertaining the ladies so well and being responsible for the refreshments (although something seemed to have gone wrong with the coffee!). As I mentioned in the October number of the magazine we were not out to make a big profit, it was just a friendly social amongst members of the congregation, but I am glad the men managed to keep the finances on the right side, and so there was a small profit of 8/5."

The first vicars letter of the year starts on a positive note; "A happy new year to you all! May 1933 bring us brighter days and happier hearts! The Prime Minister in his broadcast talk on 'The nation and the Unemployed', on December 19th, spoke words of comfort to those who are searching for work. It will be a long time, one fears, before work can be found for many in the country, and some will never go back to their former employment. Mr. Macdonald spoke of what is being done already, and although it seems little, it is well for the unemployed to know that 'they are not cast out and forgotten'".

We need to pray for the country

June saw a plea for prayer from the Rev. Hibbert. "It is the duty of Christian people in these days to pray for the Country in the great problems that confront her. I write this just before Regotiontide when the church bids us to pray for God's blessing on the crops of the field, the harvest of the sea, and all the labors of labours of the men in the industrial and agricultural world. Never was there a time when prayer was more needed than now. We hear of wars and rumours of wars when we want peace. Pray then , for God's blessing on behalf of world conferences held at this time for world peace, disarmament, and many other things which the world in general and this country in particular sadly need. Yes, and not only pray, but wherever you can, and whenever you have the opportunity, work and strive for those necessary things. Your cooperation is needed, however small your voice, or short your arm".

The church raises money for the Enderby Benevolent Fund

In January, the vicar noted " The Enderby Benevolent Association has tried this Christmas to help as much as its funds allow some of the most needy persons in the village. The social on December 2nd was well attended, and an happy evening was spent.... Towards the end of the evening I expressed a few words of thanks to all helpers and friends , including all those who had come to cheer us up with song and mirth, and especially the 'Bards' Orchestra for their splendid assistance. The net result of the effort was £15 2s 6d, which has been handed over to the Hon. Treasurer of the Association.

The next effort for which the Church council is responsible will take the form of an organ recital and musical service in Church on Sunday, 15th, at 2.45pm..... Other efforts are being made in the village, notably by the Methodist choir through their carol singing, and by a whist drive to take place, I believe, on the third Friday of January".

A servant of Enderby Church passes on

In January the Obituaries include; "We truly sympathies with the Rev. A Frewen Aylward, a former vicar of Enderby, in the loss he has sustained in the loss of his wife. Mrs. Aylward is affectionately remembered by many parishioners, for she and her husband lived in Enderby vicarage for close upon 30 years. She conducted a bible class for many years with much success, and the members of this class who are still with us often speak of her affectionately".

The shortage of work at the 'quarries' hits Enderby

The 10 year review mentioned to the right is somber reading; "The collections keep a very fair average , considering the hard times we are passing, and Enderby is suffering just now owing to the shortage of work at the 'quarries'. One begins to realise that quarrying work will never be the same again, unless something very remarkable takes place, and this work has been Enderby's chief industry. We must not be too depressed, but fix our eyes on the horizon of better things to come, even though they seem a long way off. So keep smiling! the Enderby Benevolent fund has been instrumental in relieving some hard cases of need in the village, although it has received a large amount of adverse criticism.. With limited funds at its disposal it was not expected to that it could help all and sundry whose case might be described as necessitous. And the church has in the past given considerable help to some of our own church members who fell on hard times, through various efforts, many of them organised by Mrs. M G Spencer."

Enderby Brownies Group Begins

In February, the magazine stated that "A committee has been formed in connection with the 'Brownies' in the village, and the first night will be February 2nd. Girls from 7 years of age (Mrs. Needham would prefer that none over 10 will join as it may be some little time before a company of Guides could be started) will be welcomed at the Mission Hall in Moore's Lane, at 6 O'clock on that evening".

This must have been a success as in June the vicar noted "I was glad to welcome the 'Brownies' on Sunday morning, April 30th. They looked very smart in their 'uniform', and I congratulate Mrs. Needham on getting together such a splendid number of girls. I hope they will come again soon".

Influenza is the culprit

In March, "A very large number of parishioners have been on the sick list, and in most cases influenza has been the culprit. It could hardly have been expected that in such as a large parish as Enderby I should have been able to visit all these sick parishioners, yet some people have been rather unreasonable in that they have woundered why I have not been to visit them."

The importance of Lent

The Rev. Hibbert stressed each year the importance of Lents, and 1933 was no exception; "Lent is an opportunity each year for us to take stock of our spiritual life, a kind of spiritual spring cleaning. There are the cobwebs and dust of old habits formed, of slackness and laziness as regards our religious duties, and so the discipline of the Lenten season with its brushes and dusters of prayer (realign our dependence on God), fasting (putting first things first, God not Mammon) and almsgiving (doing something and giving something in work and service to God and others) can be almost profitable one.

Will you therefore, thank a lot and pray a great deal about your spiritual life during this coming Lent, and use the special services which have been arranged to help you in this connection."

Ten years of life in Enderby reviewed

December 1933 represented 10 years of service to Enderby by Rev. Hibbert and he looked back over those years. Here is a selection from his review;

"As regards the church services, they have been well attended throughout this period. A few person have fallen away and left our fellowship for some reason or other, but others have joined us, and the advent of new houses in the parish there are new members of the congregation whom we are glad to welcome amongst us. The morning congregation does not get any bigger, but people do not seem to like, or have the inclination, to come to church on Sunday, try as one does to get them in.

Many changes have taken place since 1923. An up to date service of motor buses has almost revolutionised the village, whereas ten years ago the service and the buses themselves were by no means what they are now. At frequent intervals the buses pass our church, to and from Leicester, and they are patronised by a large number of our people. In the summer it does affect the attendance at the church services, due to the 'popularity' of mystery rides and the like.

Then again there is the wireless, and that has made wounderful strides since I came to Enderby. Broadcast services are a great boon... but they are not meant to take place of the place of worship in God's House. May I make a plea for you to keep up your church attendences? The parish church was here before you arrived on the Earth, and it will remain for more than your lifetime. The 13th century tower reminds of stability, steadfastness and strength. The weather cock is there to warn us (remember S. Peter) that we are never to deny or refuse to acknowledge Christ by word or deed. I find in looking through the register that I have preached about 1,100 sermons. It is hard for clergy to keep fresh and inspiring in the matter of sermons..... So much is demanded from us and some people are so critical..

The parish keeps growing as regards new houses, and there must be many more hundreds in the population since I came amongst you... I find it difficult to egt around the parish and see my parishioners as often as I would like.... But to those who say that the vicar hardly ever visits let me state that there have been 408 baptisms since I came, and in almost every instance I have visited the home some little time afterward and presented a coloured baptism card to the mother... I don't think this parish is over organised, and I wish I could revive the Scouts, the young men's bible class, the church of England's men's society, and a few other organisations, if they could be 'run' on proper lines; However there is the Brownies."

He goes on to mention that there were 288 burials and 145 marriages and noted the Mother's union that had 150 members, which "seems to be very much alive". His words on the financial situation are reviewed in another article in this review.

He starts his conclusion by stating "May God be praised for all His blessings to us as a parish and as individuals! Wherever I may be in the years to come I shall always remember these blessings, and especially that our two younger children were born at Enderby vicarage."