Ashwell Methodist Church

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Eddie Brown

We joined Ashwell Methodist Church soon after arriving in the village and the young ones went along to the Sunday School held in the School Room behind the church.  Our superintendent was Alfie Brown, who was a really nice old country chap but not very good at keeping order with a crowd of high-spirited children. 

I can remember having a Text Book and collecting a new text each week, which one was supposed to learn off by heart ready for next Sunday.  There was never any check on which text you said and brother Colin very often repeated the same old one especially “Jesus wept”.  I guess Alfie knew what was going on but never made an issue of this. I sat with Rosemary Whitehead and Barbara Waldock and did a lot of giggling. Other teachers were Eddie Brown and Ivy Harvey (Brown), the pianist. 

When there was the annual summer Garden Party in Lily Bryant’s garden we girls usually sang a couple of songs for the entertainment and I can recall our singing some sea shanties and being dressed up in sailor caps and collars.  Being a bit cheeky we had written HMS LILY on the cap bands and were also a bit boisterous in our dance routine. 

I eventually stopped going to Sunday School as Mum needed me to help get the Sunday lunch ready.  Dad was always sitting in the front drawing room checking the invoices and bills for the week (S G Sackett now Ashwell Stores) and was continually asking Mum to come through and confirm a price or quantity of goods received.  She was very patient about this and never showed any impatience about having her one morning of cooking interrupted. 

I enjoyed making an apple tart or crumble for the pudding and helping to get lunch ready for 1.30 –2pm.  Mum, Dad and I went to the evening service together though the boys were never that interested and gradually stopped going.