Church choir outing

Let’s start by looking at the back of a postcard for that has the caption.

A rather battered postcard

We can see the postcard is battered but we can also read that this is St Mary’s Church choir outing 1923 or 24

The image caption

And here’s the actual picture.

Fred Sayer Charabanc with choir members probably at Salisbury

Bus enthusiasts will, as is so often the case, be disappointed that the photographer has concentrated on the people and not the front end of the vehicle. This photo was in a recently acquired envelope labelled F Sayers Photographs so we assume it is one of Fred Sayer’s buses with the hood down for an open air experience. This is the kind of conveyance we call a charabanc.

The destination was clearly Weymouth. We think the photo was taken in Salisbury.

We could comment on the size of a church choir over 90 years ago – and on the number of youngsters. This, of course, was pre almost anything that gets called entertainment these days. It was enjoyable to go and meet your mates at choir practice and then there was the almost amazing excitement of the treat – like this one to Weymouth.

There’s a fair chance we won’t get any names here. Even the youngsters on the trip would now be over 100 years old (The baby on board would be about 94). But let’s take a closer look just in case.

 

Easterton Church Choir in the 1950s

This photo was given to Market Lavington Museum recently. It shows the Easterton Church Choir of the 1950s standing outside St Barnabas Church.

St Barnabas Church Choir, Easterton, in the 1950s

Since then, Jim, our Easterton expert, has worked hard to get people named. First of all, Jim numbered all of the people.

Then he sought help and has most of the people named.

1                     June Nash
2                     Rita Smith
3
4
5                     Roger Sainsbury
6                     David Bee
7
8                     Peggy Chapman
9                     Pat Stockley
10                   Joy Godfrey
11                  Monica Sainsbury
12                 Marion Stockley
13                 Pauline Stockley
14                 Jack Shepherd
15
16                 Gladys Windo
17                 Bob Sainsbury
18
19                 Bill Stockley
20                 John Dodge
21                 Michael Bee
22                 Bob Godfrey
23                 Rev Arthur

Good work, Jim but of course we’d love to name the others. Can anyone out there in blogland help?

The Painter Family

We have looked, before, on these pages at the sadly short reign of Sergeant Hillier as the police officer in Market Lavington. (click here)

Today, we take a brief look at Sergeant Painter who was resident officer at Market Lavington during much of World War II from 1941 to 1946. And particularly of his son, Howard.

Howard is seen here as a choir boy in 1941 – at St Mary’s, Market Lavington.

Howard Painter, Market Lavington choir boy in 1941

A bit of research reveals that Howard was born in the summer of 1927 and the birth was registered in the Devizes district. His mother’s maiden name was Baker.

Delving a little further we find that Walter H Painter married Louisa F I Baker during the summer of 1926 in the Swindon district.

Walter and Louisa had a daughter, Mary, in 1930.

Our second photo was taken about three years after the first and shows the family in 1944. Louisa and Sergeant Walter Painter are seated whilst their children, Howard and Mary stand behind.

The Painter Family at Market Lavington. Parents Louisa and Walter are seated with their children Howard and Mary behind.

We think Howard married in 1951, in the Marlborough area.

He gave these photos to the museum in 2007.

We’d love to know more about the Painters.

Perhaps Howard might read this and get in touch on lavingtoncurator@gmail.com