A childhood at St. Oswald’s

This article first appeared in the St Oswald’s Parish Magazine in 2024

My parents Mary and Jack Bishop and my maternal Grandfather Pop Seddon and Annie his wife, were members of the Church and had laid some of the bricks of the new building in the 1930s. Donations were 1/- (5p) per brick. The women, as they did not wear trousers, placed their bricks on the lower wall to the north whilst the men climbed the scaffolding on the east side. Many years later cracks appeared: the rumour was that it was the handiwork of the women who laid the bricks on that side of the Church, but in fact it was due to the weight of the roof!

My first official connection with St. Oswald’s was my Christening in November 1955 by Rev M E Dahl, but obviously I have no recollection of it.

The first vicar I can remember is David Read and his wife Sheila. To me he seemed a very tall man, always very smartly dressed, always wearing his dog collar and with his hair ‘Brylcreemed’ in place. His wife, too, was always immaculate, and to me looked as though she had just walked out of the hairdresser’s. They were always in attendance at the Church functions. I remember when they left they moved to a Parish in Nazeing in Essex, the church Cliff Richard attended at the time!

The layout of the Church was very different to today. There was a partition that divided the Church into two spaces, which could be folded back for the Church services. I remember we had wooden chairs (rigid ones purchased in 1937 for 4s 8d [24p] or collapsible one for 5s 8d [27p]). Some of these wooden chairs were still in use until fairly recently. Every Saturday night the chairs would be put out for the Sunday services, and every Sunday evening stacked away. There was also a stage at the Baptistry end of the Church, with a Gents Dressing Room where the Choir Vestry is now and a Ladies Dressing Room where the kitchen is now. There was also a toilet situated at the back where the main entrance lobby, where the bench is now.

In the early 1960 the chairs were changed for the pews now in use. With all the recent talk of having the pews removed and purchasing chairs we seem to be taking a backward step - or should I say, we will have come full circle!! The Church in those days looked quite bare - nothing was allowed on the walls, as it was thought to look untidy and would pull the paintwork off. How thoughts have changed!

Sunday School was a regular part of life at St. Oswald’s, after the main 9.30am main Service. I would walk along Barton Way to church (and for part of the time would call for Judith Wallington). Mrs Hilda Seear was the leader, with several ‘teachers’ as we spilt into groups. There was always a short service and hymn, with John Watson playing. I would have a lift home from him after Sunday School - I was always a bit wary of him, as he seemed very stern! Each year we used to be awarded books as prizes - for attendance, although in one it says for ‘cheerful and helpfulness’. I still have them in my bookcase. Each group had a blackboard that Dad had made – I can still see him painting them in the kitchen with the special back paint. In my first Bible, which I received at my Christening, I have a card of the painting of ‘The Light of the World’, which Mary Grover (now Warman), who was my Sunday School Teacher, gave me in October 1963 for attendance and thanking me for the blackboard chalks!

I seem to remember a Sunday School outing where we travelled by coach, but I do not remember the details. We also had exams, for which we sat in the Hall, and we received certificates - but again my memory fails, and perhaps others can comment on them and the outing.

Charles Lawrence was a vicar I particularly remember, because at the beginning of the services when he walked down the aisle he would recite “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God…”. I cannot remember how many verses from St John he recited, but he always reached the altar at exactly the same point. I used to think he must have spent ages practising! I would peer round the end of the pew and watch them all walk back at the end of the service. Father Lawrence always made out he could not remember my name but called me “the girl who always smiled”. I used to get so annoyed that he could not remember my name, but I am told that he just did it to tease me!

Rev Lloyd Jones was the next vicar, who always seemed very old to me. One Sunday morning at the 8 o’clock service he collapsed (it was quite frightening at the time) and Dad had to stop the service and deal with the situation. I think Dad had to drive him home, and then drive his car back to the Vicarage. He was very precious about his car and usually would not let anyone near it, let alone drive it! I was left in the Church on my own to wait for Dad for what seemed a very long time. Strange what one remembers!

Many times when I was small and our Vicar was away Dad used to get up early and drive to various parts of London to collect another clergyman to take the services. After the 8 o’clock service they would come back for breakfast, and sometimes after the Family Service they would come back for Sunday Lunch before Dad drove them home. I would always help Mum lay the table and prepare. I had to be on my best behaviour and only speak when spoken to, as was the wont in those days.

Both Mum and Dad, and Pop, were heavily involved in Church life. Pop was the first person to collect the Church Membership monies. Then Ted Warman took over, I assume when Pop became ill just before he died. Then Dad took over from Ted Warman and eventually Dad passed it on to David Warman. So it was kept between the two families for all these years. After the services with both Pop and Dad I was allowed to sort and count the coins and put them into their little piles for final counting, whilst they entered the figures into the accounts book. At one point little brown envelopes were used, and they had to be stamped with a special St Oswald’s stamp and ink, and that was my job. I thought I was so grown up to be allowed to do that. A far cry from the envelopes used today. Funnily enough I still have the pot with the sponge, to which they would add water and press their finger into it to aid counting the notes. I used it when making the headbands for the NHS during the COVID year, instead of licking my fingers to get the seam on the edge before pressing.

During the week Dad would often spend three nights out at some Church meeting or another, or sorting out some problem. At various times he was on different Committees and also Church Warden. Mum was involved with the flower arranging, and many a Saturday morning was spent at Church whilst she did them. Alas, I don’t have those skills! Church cleaning was another regular activity at Church. I helped, and sometimes was allowed to use the hoover, or iron and brown paper bags to remove the candle wax from the floor/carpet. But more often than not I had a duster and had to dust the pews and ledges!

The Church Bazaars and Jumble Sales were a regular occurrence to raise money for the upkeep of the church, and we were always there to help. The summer and Christmas Bazaars were quite something: the old wooden trestle tables would have wooden frames attached, like arches over the top, and they would be decorated with colourful crepe paper and signs – that was the Friday night job. On the Saturday morning the tables would be filled with goodies to sell. The Mother’s Union always started making things months before hand and Mum would be at the sewing machine for many evening making Peg Bags, covered coat hangers, knitting bags made with coat hangers and dowelling – I still have one, so it stood the test of time. While making the headbands for the NHS, when using some of the fabric, buttons and threads that Mum had had, I remembered all the sewing she did. Mum had an old Singer treadle machine and she taught me how to use it, and sometimes I was allowed to machine the straight lines. Oh, it brought back many happy memories.

She would also make little umbrellas out of ladies’ cotton handkerchiefs for children to buy for their Mums or Nans. It involved a paper straw, tin foil and paper inside the folds of the umbrella – but my memory fails as to how they were made. I used to be fascinated by them, so if anyone remembers how they were made please let me know. Jars of jams, pickles and sweets were all part of the stall. Dad used to make all sorts of wooden items for sale. Win Hamblin and Ann Grover were in charge of the Cake Stall – Win’s tray bakes were delicious and such a variety, children would queue for them and come back for more! Ann Grovers large cakes were something so special.

As a special treat we had some of these cakes to have after our evening meal on Bazaar nights. They were always happy but hectic occasions, and raised much money for the church. The Summer Bazaar had all sorts of stalls outside - throwing the ping pong ball into a jam jar, seeing how many pegs you could hold in one hand when taking off a line and many such games. There was always a fancy dress contest for children of all ages. One year Peter Sellars (the actor, who then lived near Chipperfield in a huge gated house) opened the Bazaar - I don’t actually remember that, but perhaps it’s a tale someone else can confirm. These Bazaars and Jumble Sales were usually packed with people, as in those days St. Oswald’s always had a good name for providing very good produce.

The Harvest Festival Supper was another event held at St. Oswald’s – tables were allocated each to a person, and they provided the cutlery and crockery and made the meal for the table (certain foods were provided en masse) and of course the famous homemade apple pies for dessert. It was a busy but enjoyable time. There would be many occasions when Dad and others were busy doing jobs at Church and Mum and I would do the refreshments – I would usually carry the plate of biscuits and the chocolate ones always went first!

Another thing that St. Oswald’s used to be good at was helping families when they had difficulties or were struggling. Once a group of mothers was organised to help a family when the mother was very ill. There was a rota to sit with her each afternoon and do whatever needed doing. The days Mum was there I used to walk from Harvey Road School to their house in Malvern Way, and to me who usually had such a short walk home it seemed such a long way to go. The lady was very ill, and I was only allowed to say a quick hello and had to wait in another room till we walked home. She died sometime later, and the reality did not really hit me till many, many, years afterwards – to have lost one’s mother at such a young age must have been awful. There was not the help there is now, and these matters were not spoken about.

One year for the New Years Eve Party, it had snowed heavily and Dad had walked several times to Church to set up. In the afternoon I walked (or rather slipped and slid along) with him as he carried the main raffle prize, a Tea Service. At one point I slid right over and Dad nearly went to but managed to keep the bag from hitting the pavement and we got it there in one piece. It was always a joke in our family, as Mum and Dad won it and had to carry it home again in the snow. On closer inspection one of the cups was missing the rose inside, and Dad always said we lost it when we slipped!

Every year a party was organised by the Men’s Society, inviting adults from the Leavesden Mental Hospital: this was where George Penman worked, and it was instigated by him. Mum and I would make cakes and other foods for the tea. Dad and the other members of the Men’s Society would decorate the hall and put out the tables. There would be music, games and dancing. This was many, many, years ago, and one did not normally see people with these handicaps in open society, so it was quite an unknown experience and sometimes quite frightening to someone so young in that situation. But there was no doubt they all thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon out.

I was a Brownie at St Oswald’s with Mrs Kingham and Sue Middleton, and that was a fun time I remember the toadstool we used to have in the middle of the opening ceremony. It was a very happy time. It was during this time that we did the Maypole Dancing at the Revels, with Joyce Newton teaching us the routines for the Maypole. I think it was my time as a Brownie that we visited Hampton Court Palace and we got so wet we could wring our socks out in the coach!

These are just some memories of St. Oswald’s when I was very young. I’m sure other people who have been at the church since childhood will have other memories which could add to mine. The reminiscences are not in date order!

Janet Staerck