We have to cut our pinnacles off!

July 1936 magazine noted "A few words about the Church Tower. Some little time ago, during a gale, a large part of one of the pinnacles fell down, and the force of it must have been very great for big portions were found embedded in the ground close to the tower. This was reported to the Standing Committee with the result that it was found necessary to have the tower examined by a competent architect. We are grateful to Mr. Drummond for the arranging this inspection and for being personally responsible for the architect's fee.

The report is rather a lengthy one and so could not be printed in full here, however I can mention the chief items. The pinnacles vibrate when a little force is used. The stones are connected together with an iron bar has caused one of the pinnacles to fall. The architect considers that the condition of the pinnacles is such as to make them dangerous, and portions might fall at any time. If they fell into the churchyard, they might be dangerous to passersby, and onto the roof, would certainly penetrate the roof, if of the size of the portion that has already fallen. I would recommend their removal. I have looked at the tower, and visualised it's appearance without the pinnacles and consider their loss would be no detriment'. The expense of repairing these pinnacles (if it were possible) or providing new ones would be very great, so the Church Council has unanimously approved the architect's suggestion, and the work will be carried out as soon as possible.

The Church Council were quite unanimous (there was not a single dissenting) about the removal of the pinnacles in the circumstances already mentioned, and as a matter of fact they are quite modern compared with the original work of the 13th century tower. If they were part of the original work of the 13th century tower I should be the very last person in Enderby to desire their removal.

Mr. West is very kindly asking for donations towards the cost of his work, and it is hoped to arrange an effort later on to complete the sum required. It was the most fortunate that the fallen pinnacle did not cause serious damage to person or property."

The spiritual part of the Enderby Feast is neglected

The August vicar's letter began "My dear friends, the Enderby feast for 1936 is past and it is too late now to make any comments on the Spiritual side of our village feast. It was truly disappointing to see such little interest taken in our Patronal Festival, and I have noticed this all through the years I have been at Enderby. Parishioners have friends and relatives from other parishes on Feast Sunday, but instead of bringing them along to the church they stay at home and entertain them there.

I also think that the old St. John's services (held in the ruins of a past church) has not the attraction that it used to have, for although it was a fine afternoon, as last year, we had one of the smallest attendances in living memory. It would be a pity to discontinue this special service, and yet I wounder sometimes if it is worth keeping up the annual observance."

A quoted epitaph

"Praises on tombs are idly spent, A good name is a monument."

The King is dead! Long live the King.

The February edition was bordered in black as the nation mourned the passing of George V. "The king is dead. No one will easily forget the sad news when it was broadcast early on Tuesday morning, January 21st and now the whole nation is mourning the loss of a king who endeared himself to the people in so may different ways. It is true to state that King George was beloved by his subjects and a more kind, considerate and sincere monarch it would be hard to find. The Silver Jubilee celebrations last year demonstrated very clearly the affection in which he was held, and it seemed providential that he was spared to participate in these celebrations.

The Christmas Day broadcast talks have shown us that the King was the head of a great family who was really and sincerely interested in his peoples welfare. The modern invention of the wireless has been the means of linking more closely the ties of loyalty and friendship between king and subjects.

So much has been written in the newspapers about the late King, of blessed memory, and those who listened to the broadcast talk by the prime Minister on the night of January 21st must have been deeply moved by what was said, that I cannot very well write anything new that has not already been mentioned. But I should like to point out one thing that the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Prime Minister and the King's Librarian have spoken about, namely - The King's personal religion. King George was a true Christian gentlemen, there was no parading of religion on his part, he was truly humble yet most sincere. His was a simple faith in God, a living trust in the King of Kings for help and guidance. In this he was a true example to us, and in these days when it is said that religious observance is at a discount we are told that King George was a man of prayer, that he read his Bible every day and attended regularly the House of Prayer and Worship wherever he happened to be.

It was the character of the King that we admired and also his sincerity and courage. This surely has been the outstanding feature of his reign and which has done so much to hold together our Country and Empire, for the last twenty-five year have been very full of trouble and anxiety on every side.

At his beloved house at Sandringham surrounded by his wife and family the King passed on - his 'labours ended'. He had fought ' a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith'. May he 'enter the joy of his Lord'!".

As loyal subjects we deeply sympathies with the Queen Mother in her grief. She has been a comfort and inspiration to our late beloved King throughout their married life, as well as being a gracious lady, and we owe her a debt of gratitude for her pattern of queenly grace, her sympathy and thoughtfulness for others. May God grant to her comfort and consolation!

King Edward VIII come to the throne a comparatively young man, but he has already shown good and great qualities which are essential to kingship. The lot of the King is by no means an easy one for the path is beset with difficulties. But King Edward will be upheld by the example set by his father, and already he has said to the Privy Council, 'I am determined to follow in my father's footsteps and to work as he did throughout his life for the happiness and welfare of all my subjects',

The King is dead. May God rest his soul! God save and bless King Edward."

The 'churching' of mothers is dying out

The vicar wrote "My attention has been drawn to the fact that the service of Churching seems to be dying out rapidly in several parishes, and I have noticed that very few church mothers in Enderby ask ' to be churched'. The service is a thanksgiving to God for the gift of a child and the preservation of the mother's life. In days gone by no mother would 'dream' of paying any visits to friends before she had first been to Church in order to return thanks."

A terribly upset world

The vicar's greeting for the year began "A happy new year to you all!. This is the old, old greeting, but I wish it for you most sincerely. Happiness really consists of being at peace with God, trying hard to please him and at the same time doing our very best to help those who need our help and encouragement. We shall never be really and truly happy if we merely think of ourselves and our own interests.

The world is terribly upset just now with wars and rumours of wars when we wanted so much the blessings of peace. I write on the eve of Christmas which brings us the message of peace and goodwill from the Christ child, the prince of peace. Distrust, suspicion and fear, are very ominous words, and they sum up the cause of the world situation today. If only men and nations would accept Christ and try very hard, however difficult it may be, to carry out his teaching, I feel sure that nations would live together in peace and individuals would have happier lives.

Let us who profess and call ourselves Christians endeavour to do our part, small though it may be, in bringing in an era of peace, by living consistent Christian lives and by witnessing for Christ to our utmost ability. This real solution of the world problem is thus to be found in the acceptance of Christ and the doing of his will."

The formation of a Young People's Guild

In October, The Rev. Hibbert announced that "a Young People's Guild has been formed. For a long time past I have been most anxious that we should have such a guild in this parish in connection with the church. There is a need for one I am sure and I truly hope that it may be a means of keeping young people interested in the life of the church. First, we want funds and so a social will be held in the church school, on Friday, October 2nd, at 8 PM, admission 6d. Will those who can, please come and help us in our endevour to finance the guild? Then on Thursdays, beginning October 13th, we shall start activities on behalf of the Young Women's section. Committee's have been arranged and some of the ladies of the congregation will take it in turns with the younger members to be on duty each week, this former more particularly to see to the refreshments and the latter as regards the entertainment. The Young Men's Section has not got, at present, so far as the young women, but if more boys and young men (14 years of age and upwards) will join up then we can soon make a start. The communicant members of the guild will be expected to make their communions each month and to join the Communicant's Guild.

I hope that church people in Enderby will appreciate our endeavour to help and interest their sons and daughters, and encourage us in this endeavour."

The war that lies ahead

The gap in our records means we take up our review of the parish magazines as Britain comes to terms with a new war. The Rev. Hibbert starts his January letter in somber mood;

"All good wishes for the new year. Let us hope and pray that before the end of the year, 1940, the countries that are now at war may be at peace with one another. At the present moment the forces of evil are waging a bitter warfare and we may be engaged in a violent struggle before the cessation of hostilities.

When the war is over there will be some knotty problems to solve if the nations of the world are to live in peace and friendship with one another. It will be a difficult task to make a just and lasting peace, but it is not a problem beyond solution if justice, understanding and true reasonableness are brought to bear based on sound Christian principles.

Meanwhile, let us go forward to whatever lies before us with courage, fortitude and hope. At any rate, the forces of evil may rage furiously (as the psalmist says) but, thank God, they cannot be triumphant. 'The Lord God omnipotent reigneth' and one day His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Keep smiling and be cheerful, live close to God for 'underneath are the everlasting arms'."

If there is a God, why does he allow it?

By July, Nazi Germany had taken Paris. It was about then that the Rev. Hibbert was asked a question;

"A Frenchwomen, naturalised in this country, met me the other day when the news about Paris had been broadcast and said 'If there is a God why does he allow it?' But why should people blame God when the fault is on man's side? It is because people have neglected God , ignored him and even despised him , that this evil has come upon the world. God has given man freewill, and if man chooses to thwart God's will and goes his own selfish and sinful way, then how can man blame God for the mess he had made in God's world? And so I say there needs to be this change of outlook to the things of God."

The "Black-out" affects the church

To give enemy aircraft no indication of where places were at night, any source of light which could be seen outdoors had to be covered. In the 1939-40 winter this had meant evening services were moved to the afternoon and the lower attendance was noticeable and costly to the church. In August, as another winter approached the Rev. Hibbert asked for views on what to do;

"I, personally prefer to have Evensong at the usual time, but I wounder if it is worth the expense of 'blacking-out'. Older pensioners will not venture out when it is really dark and there are no street lights to light them on their way, and especially those who live some distance from the church. Air raids have taken place in various parts of the country (we were comparatively clear of them last winter) and that fact will no doubt deter many people from going out at night."

In October the vicar announced "I am sorry to disappoint those who wished for Evensong at the usual time of 6.30, but in view of the 'black-out' and possibly evening air raids, it would seem advisable to hold Evensong in the afternoon. Furthermore, the expense of effectively 'blacking-out' the church would be fairly heavy."

The Organ Fund

Since 1937, it seems that the church had to pay out major amounts of money on the organ. By April "Mr. Drummond is very anxious that the organ fund is cleared off as soon as possible... Considering the comparatively short time since we started the organ fund it is amazing howthe large sum of £650 or so has decreased to less than £100."

In June the vicar noted that "It is with great pleasure that I tell you that the organ fund is proceeding splendidly, and you will see from Mr. Drummonds list in this month's magazine that only the sum of £16/4/0 is now required to pay off the final installments due to the organ builders. It should not take long to secure this remaining sum of money."

Evacuated families come to Enderby

In November the vicar's letter noted; "Several evacuated families, mostly mothers and children, are now making their temporary homes in our village. Some of these mothers have had their own homes bombed, and it is the least that we can do to provide them with temporary shelter until the time arrives when they can safely return to their towns and cities. We ourselves ought to be grateful for having been so far preserved from the bombs of hostile aircraft, and have not had a similar experience to those who have for a time come amongst us.

Let us do all that we can to give them a welcome and show a true Christian and neighbourly spirit towards them. If there are ways in which we can help them, let us not hesitate to do for them what we should like others to do for us if we were placed in a similar state of trial.

These evacuated families are from big cities and are probably not accustomed to country ways, but they are enjoying, at any rate for the time being, peace and rest, which must be a pleasant change from that which they have recently experienced."

A regular advertiser

Each month a page was set aside to annotate all the office holders in the church, and every month this advert for Shipley's acted as the page header;

Thanksgiving for the safe return of men from Dunkirk

The Nazi German push into France had threatened the capture or death of many men, but an amazing armada of ships were thankfully able to bring them to safety. The vicar was disappointed in the attendance at the following thanksgiving service in Enderby;

"The keen interest in the Day of National Prayer at the end of May was not followed up when we offered our Thanksgivings to God a fortnight later for the safe return of so many of the members of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. It seemed such a shame that so few bothered to come to church to say 'thank you' to the Heavenly father for what seemed to many of us as a miracle, but there were some at any rate who were grateful and wished to show their gratitude.

If we really want God's guidance and help in this time of stress and anxiety, if this country is to triumph over the evils that threaten her we must humble ourselves before Him. The power and might of Britain can be of no avail without the help and blessing of Almighty God.

So let us devote ourselves to more earnest prayer as well as to any work or task that we can do on behalf of our country. I mentioned in a sermon recently about a book written a long time ago which contained a prophecy that Britain will be driven to her knees before victory was finally gained by use. Well! we may well be driven in desperate need to seek for God's help or succour, and a change of heart is needed, not just a spasmodic turning to Him when we are in trouble and then a neglect of Him when the trouble is overpast. Let us seek for this change of heart and resolve to turn unto the Lord, walking from henceforth in His holy ways. Lord Collingwood, after the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, issued the general order to the fleet for prayer. He said "Without God's help the utmost efforts of men are nought."

A Lych Gate for Enderby Church

In September, it was noted that "The erection of the Lych gate that is to be a memorial to the parents of Mr. Walter Marston appears to be held up by reason of the war. The faculty (permission) for this has already been granted."

By December though the Lych gate was being built; "The work in connection with the memorial Lych gate has been started, and when it is completed I shall ask the Bishop to come to dedicate it."

Enderby's church bells are silenced

July's edition commented "We miss the church bells now that they may not be rung except as a warning signal. Many people are sorry that the authorities have made this decision and wish that some other scheme could have been devised, for the church bells remind us of God's house and our need of going to the place of worship and prayer, calling upon the name of the lord our God. However, we shall enjoy hearing them again in happier circumstances, which I trust will not be far distant."

A "Comforts tin" to bring comfort to Enderby's soldiers

Often the vicar's letters mention that he has opened 'the comforts tin'; for example in July he writes "The Comforts Tin has been opened once again, and the sum of £1/16/10 will be handed to the treasurer, which sum is a few pence over the last obtained. Many thanks to all concerned".

As you can see in the 1941 review the money enabled postal orders, in that case with Christmas cards, to be sent to those from Enderby serving in the forces.

Those who gave their lives

Each magazine noted the deaths of those from Enderby, some who were tragically young. However, the war brought further deaths to lament;

July 1940 saw this entry; "We extend our sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. Brown (High Street) who have lost their son, Harold, reported killed in France. Also to the wife who lives in Leicester. Private Harold Brown was one of our choirboys when I came to Enderby. Being a reservist he was called up at the outbreak of the war and now this news comes through. Harold was Mr. and Mrs. brown's only son, and we do feel for them in their loss ."

In August, the Drummond family, who were so involved with the church, faced grief; "It was with deep sorrow that we heard of the death from wounds of Captain Frederick Drummond. Mr. and Mrs. Drummond received a telegram from the War Office a few days ago to this effect. We do most sincerely offer them our real and heartfelt sympathy in this great loss. (He) was such a splendid man, and I have many recollections of his cheery and bright disposition and his utterly unselfish nature.

He was a born soldier and he died in the way that he would have wished. I have good reason to believe that he was much liked by his brother officers and by men under his leadership. He died doing his duty to his country as so many others have done during this war and the last one.

Every Christmas I received a card from him and being so far away from home it showed that he had not forgotten the friends and relatives in his home country. I personally shall always remember him for I had a particular liking for him.

How distressing it must now be for Mrs. Drummond, with both husband and elder son away serving in the Royal Air Force!"

The vicar "sits in church"

The finances did not look good, the 1939 accounts showed a £46/11/5 shortfall and the 'back-out' had affected the collections, so the Rev. Hibbert announced he would 'sit in church' to receive gifts towards keeping the church funds stable. He could announce in October that; "The financial result of my 'sitting in church' on September 10th is up to present £40/19/7 (later he corrected this to £46). This is really wonderful and I am indeed most grateful for the kind gifts I received. I received visits from parishioners more than half as many again as last time, which goes to prove that the sending out of letters and envelopes was well worth the effort."

What to read

"If you have the blues read the 27th psalm, If your pocket book is empty read the 37th psalm. If people seem unkind read the 15th chapter of John. If you are discouraged about your work read the 126th psalm. If you are out of sorts read the 12th chapter of hebrews. If you are losing confidence in men read the 13th chapter of first Corinthians. If you cannot have your own way in everything keep silent and read the third chapter of James."- The magazine quoted this from a "Church in Devon).