Bridge End Chapel Choir December 1949

Bridge End Chapel Choir December 1949

Once the Second World War had come to an end the big task of rebuilding shattered lives and trying to move on had started. Over the six-year war, many things had to be put on hold. One of those had been the church buildings at Bridge End Chapel. They had been used during the war years and had been left in a battered state and the compensation offered was far from adequate.

In 1949 the church secretary reported that £5000 (today this figure would be £120,000) was needed to put the buildings back in a working condition.  

As the ministry of Reverend Albert Dring came to an end on June 29, 1949, a meeting was held and it was decided to hold a ‘Spring Fayre’. Before the war, this type of event had been a popular way of raising funds by many organisations. The last one at Bridge End had been in 1939. The dates for the new one were agreed March 18 and 19, 1950. It went on to be a resounding success, raising £640 which was put to good use straight away in the church.

One problem remained – the kind of problem which is explained by the phrase ‘restricted viewing’, in Bridge End’s case it meant there was a pillar in the way, slap bang in the middle of the hall. For years chairmen had hidden behind it, actors had embraced it and Reverend Ronald Wilmut, who had taken over the ministry after Mr Dring, would dodge around it. Once it was removed it meant one small but problematical feature at Bridge End had been solved once and for all.

All the children in this featured photograph of the Bridge End choir in December 1949 are all aged eight and would now be all well retired. The members of the choir include (front row left to right): David Wheelhouse, Bruce Fellows, Brenda Morton, Maxine Riley, Jean Morley, Isabelle Horsfield, Valerie Brooks, Dorothy Goodyear, Unknown, Christine Haigh, Jean Saunders, Sheila Lumb, Judith Pearson and Christopher Quarmby.

Back Row (left to right): Betty Pearson, Christine Jowett, Christine Nicholson, Sheila Byram, Freda Roebuck, Sheila Crisp, Fiona Fellows, Hilary Jackson, Margaret Castle, Gordon Firth and Mr Quarmby the choirmaster. The choir used to rehearse on Thursday evenings and sang at both morning and evening worship on Sunday and special occasions.

Happy Days at Bridge End Chapel when it served the congregation's social and spiritual needs.

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