In a Monastery Garden (2)

In a Monastery Garden (1) can be seen by clicking here.

Yesterday we looked at Mrs Hobbs memories as written in 1992. Today we’ll look more closely at one of her memories – the Sunday School Outing.

Back in 1912, Mrs Hobbs was known as Betty Pike although her real name never was Betty. It was a nickname conferred on her as a little baby and it stayed with her right through life. But her surname was Pike – daughter of George and his wife Mary Ann.

Sunday School outings were huge events back in those years before the First World War. The mass forms of entertainment we have today were unknown and a lovely day out was something people looked forward to and savoured long after the day had come and gone.

The chosen destinations for the Congregational Church were often Marsh’s Tea Gardens at Bratton or the Monastery Gardens at Edington. In 1912 the outing went to Edington.

It is hard for us to imagine the logistics these days. Huge numbers – maybe a couple of hundred people made the trip. Transport was by farm cart or wagon, equipped with temporary seats. These would have trundled along at walking pace, making the journey take a goodly part of the morning. Once there it was time to enjoy yourself.

George Pike rows members of Market Lavington Congregational Church on Edington Lake in 1912

Here we see Mrs Hobbs’s father, George Pike taking people out in a rowing boat on the lake at Edington.

It’s a long shot that the other occupants of this boat will be recognised, but do let us know if you can.

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Tags: 1910s, chapel, church, Market Lavington, Museum, outing