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At the beginning of the century
entertainment was the usual simple things centred round the Church Festivals.
There was the choir and a small instrumental ensemble. Evidence of this
was found when Doris and Jack Bishop moved back into the Clock House,
Doris' family home. It had been the Newington's home for many years ‑
the whole family were very musical, always in demand at family gatherings
and local dances. When the attic was cleared three violins were found,
relics of the village orchestra. From the Church Choir the Choral Society
grew and in the 1930's it could hold its own in local and county competitions.
Sidney Ansell, local builder and organist at the Methodist Church, was
the conductor for a long time. He was a great character and one of the
stories about him is about a rehearsal one evening, when trying to improve
the rendition of the song in rehearsal he is supposed to have said ...
"When you get to the words, 'her golden hair' P‑u‑l‑l
it out."
Wadhurst has always had a good number
of Churches and Chapels. Each had their own Calendar of Church and social
events. The Salvation Army between the wars had a very good band and every
Saturday evening played in Church Street in the centre of the village
and on Christmas Day would go the rounds playing Carols. They had their
meetings in a corrugated iron hut in Sparrows Green and also musical evenings
with much audience participation in the old country folk songs.
We have several good halls ‑
the main one is the Commemoration Hall (with sports field) built as a
memorial to local men killed in the Great War. Today it is affectionately
known by everyone as the Commem. We are also fortunate in having St. George's
Hall, Best Beech Hall (now a picture framers premises), The Upper Room
and in more recent times, the Primary School and the Community College.
The Scout and Guide Movement was
very strong from the early 1900's onwards. Two families were instrumental
in supporting the groups. The Courthope family were linked to the Guides
and Brownies and the DuVallon family to the Scouts and Cubs. Rangers,
Guides and Brownies had their indoor meetings supplemented with outdoor
activities on the Whiligh estate (home of the Courthopes). The Du Vallons
did the same for the Scouts. Mr. Du Vallon wrote a Gang Show every year
for the Scouts and Cubs to perform in the 'Commem' proceeds from which
went towards their annual camp on the Isle of Wight. Now only
the Brownies continue.
For adults between the wars, there
was football, cricket, tennis and in the late 30's bowls. There was a
high standard in all the games and Wadhurst teams featured high in the
league tables and often as cup winners. These sports took place on good
quality sports fields ‑ one in the centre of the village (football
and cricket pitches, tennis courts and bowling green) the other in Sparrows
Green (football only ‑ but now - celebrating the arrival of the
Millennium 2000, a new sports field and pavilion, which offers a vast
improvement to the facilities local sports clubs used to have.. The women
of the village were partakers of more sedentary pursuits i.e. W.I. Mothers
Union and Sisterhood and more importantly house and home without the mechanical
wizardry we have now. Of course, there was the good old Sussex game of
Stoolball - also the ladies were much involved in organising money raising
events e.g. fetes and bazaars, one of the highlights of the year was the
Hospital Sunday Parade, when all the local organisation marched through
the village, when money was collected in aid of the hospital ‑ before
the N.H.S.
Early in the century the Territorial
Army was very popular and owned their own hall with living accommodation
for the full time officer who commanded the unit. This hall was used for
the very early silent films with a local pianist as accompaniment.
In the 30's public transport became
more frequent and reliable so people went to the cinema and theatre in
Tunbridge Wells for special occasions and treats. Gradually everyone's
horizons widened, the school went to the zoo in London and there was a
never to be forgotten trip to the Aldershot Tattoo. One girl recalls that
she and a friend, determined to see the then Queen and Princesses, became
separated from the school group and were mortified to find that they had
missed tea when they finally caught up with the Wadhurst School party;
another trip was to Portsmouth and the Victory. It was almost like a trip
to a foreign country to travel a hundred odd miles in a coach.
The radio was very popular and everyone
sat glued to the set to listen to "Dick Barton Special Agent",
In Town Tonight or "Henry Hall's Guest Night etc.
Although travelling was still possible
in 1939 entertainment became more local again with a weekly film show,
concerts and dances in the Commem or St. George's Hall helped by the new
blood of the Forces stationed in and around Wadhurst and the evacuees.
The Youth Group was very popular and go ahead. (The school evacuated to
Wadhurst was Brockley Grammar School, an all boys school!)
After 1945 as life returned to normal,
some organisations kept going, others had to be restarted. There were
two high spots in the first years of peace. The radio show I.T.M.A. came
to Wadhurst as a welcome home celebration for local men who had been to
war, then a few years later the Wilfrid Pickles show, 'Have a Go' was
recorded in the village where they coined the phrase "If 1 won a
million pound first I'd throw a fit, then I'd throw a party" in answer
to the standard question of "What would you do etc?"
One new society was started after
the war and in 1946 the Wadhurst Dramatic Society was formed. In their
Golden Jubilee year they produced two plays and a musical ‑ South
Pacific was an outstanding success. The Society also puts on excellent
pantomimes.
There is no longer a Choral Society
but there are several small choirs and instead of the Salvation Army band
we have a village Brass Band and a Drum and Fife Band. The Conductor and
Founder of the Brass Band Algy Hoare reminds those of a certain age of
Sidney Ansell, both in sense of humour and shape. The Brass Band is like
our village symbol, it has grown from the acorn of the school band where
Algy taught, to the oak tree ‑ the Village Band.
An annual play and various music
concerts are part of the scene at the Community College which are much
enjoyed by parents and residents alike.
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