Mahjong or murder, it was all good party fun up at the Manor
The vicar and his family were
'summoned' to tea at the Manor
ONE
thing started while we were at the cottage and continued for some time
when we were at the vicarage. This was a visit to us for tea and games
of one of Sir Fortescue’s daughter’s two children. Their surname
was Lindsay. We were sometimes ‘summoned’ to the Manor House
to have tea with Lady Flannery and play ‘Hunt the Thimble.’
The long corridors partitioned by green baize doors were also ideal for
hide and seek and sardines.
Lady Flannery
was a sweet and gracious lady. Nobody had a party where you sat and drank.
There were always lots of food and lots of games. For a couple of friends
Mahjong was the favourite; for a fair number it was murder and charades.
The doctor’s son introduced indoor fireworks. No disaster and this
became a must for birthdays and Christmas. It’s amazing there were
no problems and as at Christmas time there were no electric lights but
small candles in little holders attached to the Christmas tree.
The move from the cottage to the vicarage was a red letter day for the
whole village. It would be a few years before my mother could enjoy all
the benefits of electricity and main water supply.
My father had a pump installed which required 200 pumps every day to fill
the tank which supplied the house taps and it was still oil lamps and
candles to go to bed and use in the bedrooms even for reading: another
hazard.
Fred and Ted, the two sons of Mrs. Marshall have both died but Fred’s widow Heather was the Church Secretary for over forty years and is a pillar of the Church. Fred (batting) and Ted (bowling) were also key men in the village cricket team which played at Mr. Byford’s farm amidst thistles and cow dung. Fred was also also a key member of the choir and of the bell-ringers. My father had put in a small hand rope ‘contraption’ which would not move the bells to produce the ringing, but would enable the bells to be hit by a small clapper, without moving. In this way he would play hymn tunes. This is no longer there. The only other thing former residents miss is the copper steeple. This became unstable and was replaced by the present shingle covered spire, some years after we moved away.
Rev W Smith
and his sister
