CLUBS & SOCIETIES
This
research has been made possible by using the archives held at the Hive, and
also the archives of the Worcester Chronicle, for which we thank them.
INDEX OF ARTICLES ON THIS PAGE:
Air Rifle Club, click here or below to read the research
Amateur Dramatic Society
Bell Ringers and Hand Bell Ringers, click here to read the research (updated 04.11.20)
Choral Society
Cricket Club
Girl Guiding
History Group, click here to read more
Horticultural Society, click here to read the research (updated 24.03.21)
Pig Keepers Society
Village Community Group
Welsh Border Morris Men
Womens Institute
Working Mens Club
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The Air Rifle Club
The Air Rifle Club started life in the Working Men's Club, now known as the Hallow Sports and Social Club, and the club joined the long established Lord Ednam Air Rifle League in 1947.
The last records of this club to have been found are dated 1973/74.
To read the research, please click here
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The Amateur Dramatic Society
The Hallow Amateur Dramatic
Society (HADS) was founded on February 26th 1914 by a group of
‘pioneer members’ under the chairmanship of Chris Lock, with Revd. Kershaw as
president from 1914 -1924. Mr Arthur
Lord and family of Hallow Mount had staged a show in aid of ‘Waifs and Strays’
and the Scouts in 1911 and became enthusiastic and active members of HADS.
Following the success of an informal Christmas production of ‘Cinderella’ in
1913, a formal society was formed with rules, subscriptions and membership, the
accounts and minutes of which are stored at the Hive. Members from a 3 mile radius of Hallow paid
an annual subscription of 2 shillings. The committee, including treasurer,
secretary and stage manager, met in Green House, the home of Nurse Brown, and
included also the Wheeler and Lock families, Mr. Green, Mr. Moon, Miss Spark
and Miss Gardiner.
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| Inaugural Show Review |
In the following year this ambitious and
dynamic group purchased, hired or made a proscenium, curtains, wings, scenery,
lighting, costumes and props for 3 sketches performed for Hallow Parochial
Garden fete in June, to a paying audience of 103, and ‘Sleeping Beauty’ on New
Year’s Eve in the Schools to an audience of 213, an event that raised funds for
the War Fund. However international
events intervened and in 1915 HADS fell into abeyance as so many members were
in active service.
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| Hallow Fete, performance held at The Mount |
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The Bell Ringers of Hallow
Introduction
The Hallow History Group
project has been to research the clubs and associations of Hallow of which this
is one. The bells of Hallow Parish Church have rung out on a weekly basis for
the whole of the 20th century and into the 21st century save when they were
interrupted by war. It is the dedication of the band of ringers over this
period of time which has enabled the bells to ring out and as much as possible
their names and stories about them will be recorded in this project. The text
is culled from many sources including old Church magazines, Berrows Journal,
previously unpublished documents and the aural and written histories provided
by current ringers. There are several appendices which give information about
the art of bell ringing, the peals that have been rung in Hallow and poetry
written about or by the local ringers. Every effort has been made to create an
accurate record.
The Hallow Bells have the following inscriptions:
The bells were renovated in 1937 as part of the commemoration of the coronation of King George VI.
To read further, please click here
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Bell Ringers and Hand Bell Ringers
Click here to read extracts from the Parish Magazine covering the area of Hallow, Broadheath and Comer Gardens –
World Wars I and II
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The Choral Society
Two items have been found published by the Worcester Chronicle:11 January 1902
SOCIAL EVENING – On Thursday January 2, the Choral Society invited their friends to a Social Evening at the schools, when, after an excellent tea, to which about 80 sat down, dancing, singing, and games were indulged in to a late hour.
CONCERT AT HALLOW – The Hall Choral Society gave an excellent concert on Monday last, which was attended by a large number of people. The programme was as follows:
Part song ‘The Dashing Young Sergeant’, Mr. Hopewell
Violin solo Miss McCann
Song ‘My Curly-headed Baby’, Mrs. Hill
Quartettes ‘Robin A’dair’ and ‘On the Banks of Allan Water’ (encored)
Song ‘Stars of the Summer Night’, Rev. A. L. E. Griffiths
Part song ‘Lovely Night’
Song ‘Lucky Jim’, Mr. Lord (encored)
Part song ‘Awake! Sweet Love’
Song ‘Through the Valley’, Rev. A. Perowne
Excitation ‘The Purple Coat’, Mr. Lord (encored)
Song ‘Fiddle and I’, with violin obligato, Mrs. Hill (encored)
Violin Solo ‘Mazurka Caracteristique’, Miss McCann
Quartettes ‘Must I then part from thee?’, and ‘The long day closes’
(encored)
Song ‘When I was a boy at School’, Mr. Hopewell (encored)
Part Songs ‘The Nightingale’ and ‘The Vale of Past’
Mr. Joseph Hill efficiently discharged the duties of accompanist.
25 April 1903
Hallow Choral Society is in a flourishing state. Last week the members gave a concert, the principal item of which was Macfarren’s cantata ‘May Day’. The work presents certain difficulties even to accomplished singers, and the performance at Hallow shows what can be done in a country place with a scarcity of real talent. The result amply repaid the chorus for the great amount of time they have spent in reparation, and the crowded audience fully appreciated their efforts. Mrs. Glover Eaton sang the soprano solo in the cantata, and also contributed another song. Other contributors to the programme were Miss Sheppard, the Rev. J. F. Hastings, A. Perowne, and A. Griffiths, Messrs. Alexander and Hopewell.
The Rev. A. L. E. Griffiths has devoted a considerable amount of time to the Society, of which he is honorary conductor, and to him, in a great measure, is due the success with which recent performances have been attended. The members, recognizing this, presented him on Friday with a handsome clock, as a mark of their appreciation and esteem.
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The Cricket Club
An entry in the
diary of Mrs. Mary Stevenson, wife of Rev. Henry Stevenson, recorded the
establishment of Hallow Cricket Club in July 1851, and on September 8th
1852 she wrote “Grand cricket match between Hallow and Crowle clubs. Hallow won!”
After a break for World War I, the club recommenced in 1919 -
"The Cricket Club has been re-formed after a break in its existence of nearly 5 years. Only a few of the old members still remain in the village, but a meeting of enthusiasts was held at the Lea House on May 9th .....
Mr. H. Lock, who was captain of the Club before the War, said that the former field was still available, the pavilion might require a little repair, and he had looked carefully after the bats, balls, and other appliances in the interim. Practice was commenced on Monday, May 7, and it is hoped that the season of 1919 may be pleasant and prosperous in the annals of the Club." October 1919.
Many family names appear as sons follow fathers onto the team and if you happen to visit the playing field in the season you will see many familiar local faces.
To read the full research with photographs of team members, please click here
After a break for World War I, the club recommenced in 1919 -
"The Cricket Club has been re-formed after a break in its existence of nearly 5 years. Only a few of the old members still remain in the village, but a meeting of enthusiasts was held at the Lea House on May 9th .....
Mr. H. Lock, who was captain of the Club before the War, said that the former field was still available, the pavilion might require a little repair, and he had looked carefully after the bats, balls, and other appliances in the interim. Practice was commenced on Monday, May 7, and it is hoped that the season of 1919 may be pleasant and prosperous in the annals of the Club." October 1919.
Many family names appear as sons follow fathers onto the team and if you happen to visit the playing field in the season you will see many familiar local faces.
To read the full research with photographs of team members, please click here
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Football
To read more of this research, click here
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Girlguiding
Girlguiding (originally the Girl Guides Association) is the largest
female organisation in the UK, having 550,000 members. It is for girls from the
ages of 5 upwards and consists of five different groups:-
Rainbows 5-7 years
Brownies 7-10 years
Guides 10-14 years
Senior Section 14-26th Birthday
Trefoil Guild – 18+ years
 |
Robert and Agnes Baden Powell |
It was not until 1928 that Hallow started its own Girl Guide Company.
This was the beginning of 1st Hallow Guides. The Captain was
Miss Mary Amphlett and the Lieutenant was Mrs Collett.
To see photographs and further research, click here
To see photographs and further research, click here
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The History Group
Hallow History Group was formed in 2008 as a sub group of Hallow village Community Group. In 2006 100 copies of booklet entitled ’A Brief History of Hallow’ were produced and sold which helped to create an interest to engage in further research and to attempt to record the history of our lovely but rapidly changing village. The booklet formed the basis for a village history walk in 2007, attracting 60 walkers, including a core of people who went on to form Hallow History Group.
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The Horticultural Society
The current Society was formed in 1985 and celebrates its 30th year in 2015. However, its existence dates back much further and there are original show schedules available which date to 1950.
Read more research here
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The Pig Keepers' Society
This item was printed in the Worcester Chronicle dated 14 February 1903.
A meeting of villagers from Broadheath, Grimley and Hallow was held in the Hallow Schoolroom on Tuesday last to consider the question of forming a Pig Keepers’ Association. The Rev. A. W. T. Perowne was elected chairman and called upon Mr. H. Waldron, hon. Secretary of the Red Hill Society, to explain the working of his and kindred societies. A proposition to form a society for the districts was carried unanimously, and the following were elected to draw up rules, etc.:
Chairman
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Rev. A. W. T. Perowne
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Hon. Secretary
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Mr. W. H. Woodcock, Hallow.
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Committee
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Messrs. Walters, Haynes, Aspry and Gillett (Hallow)
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Messrs. Freeman, Stanton, Fortey and Hughes (Broadheath)
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Messrs. Bourne, Parker, Bullock and G. Fortey (Grimley)
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There was also a Pig Club during WWII, where people collectively bought pigs to fatten. They were then killed one at a time and the meat shared between the members. (This was recollected by Stan and Edna Wilde.)
If you have more information of this club, please contact us.
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The Village Community Group
The Hallow Village Community Group was
the brain child of Jon Tainton who ten years ago set it up with the objective of
encouraging a stronger community spirit within the village.
A group of interested people met at his
house and decided to set it up.
The group received some funding from the
Parish Council and with the proceeds from a stall at one of the village car
boot sales, they were almost up and running.
Before the group could carry out any
community activities they needed to take out public liability insurance which
does not come cheap.
To read about the Group's activities, please click here
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The
Original Welsh Border Morris Men
a Hallow based organisation since 1973
The Welsh Border Morris Men were
formed in 1973, by lifelong Hallow resident John Barker and two others, Dave
Jones and John Aston, with the objective of running a side, to do just one
morris dance tour a year at Christmas, dancing the dances of our region known
as the Welsh Border dances of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire. The
style is lively, energetic, boisterous and often quite noisy with most dancing
involving much stick-clashing.
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WOMENS INSTITUTE - (Jam & Jerusalem!)
SETTING THE SCENE
The WI Movement began in Canada, Adelaide Hoodless a young mother lost a child through contaminated milk and with the help of a farmer formed a group to educate women so that other mothers would not suffer as she had. That group was eventually in 1897 to become the Women’s Institute and in 1915 whilst the First World War was raging a Mrs Watts came over to Anglesey in Wales and the first Women’s Institute in England and Wales was formed in Llanfair PG. Last year in 2015 there were many celebrations including a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace celebrating the Centenary of the more commonly used name ‘the WI’
HALLOW
On the 18th of June 1943 Mrs. Winnington, a Voluntary County Organiser (V.C.O.) from the Worcestershire Federation, presided over a meeting in Hallow Parish Hall. She gave an inspiring address on the meaning, responsibilities and pleasure derived by the formation of a WI in a village, and at the end of that meeting 57 members paid a subscription of 2s/6d to join. Hallow had a WI.
July 15th 1943 - The first meeting setting out the Rules and Regulations i.e. Name of WI, you had to be 15 years old, 15 members on the Committee, you had to have a President and 2 Vice Presidents. Meetings would be on the 2nd Thursday in the month and the AGM would be in November, the first AGM was held in 1944.
To read the full research, click here
To read the full research, click here
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The Working Men's Club
The
Hallow Working Men’s Club was established in 1858 to provide recreation and
useful instruction for the working men of Hallow and Grimley, a great many of
whom would have been in the employ of local landowners.
We
have been asked if we know why Mrs. Wheeley Lea felt the need to promote the
club so although we have no written proof we thought it would be helpful to
look at the prevailing social climate at the time.
In
the late 17th Century under William of Orange gin had been
introduced from the Netherlands, its consumption became widespread and cheap
“gin palaces” were opening across England which became a draw to the working
classes as initially because of low production costs it was cheaper than beer.
This had devastating social effects. As a direct result in 1835 England saw the
birth of the British Association of the Temperance Movement. With its focus on
the on the working classes and in a bid to counter the damage caused by the
evils of alcohol, they advocated the provision of coffee houses and halls as
meeting places as replacements for bars. Following closely on this movement was
the Salvation Army founded in 1864 who also saw the terrible effect that
alcohol, in particular spirits, was having on the working man.
The
climate of opinion then seems to suggest that working men should have a
gathering place within the parish which did not directly depend on the
consumption of alcohol.
Men’s
Clubs were then being formed whose aims were the promotion of education and
recreation in a non-alcoholic way. These clubs were non-profit making
organisations, run by the members through a committee, a practice which
continues to this day. In 1862 when Henry Solly, a wealthy philanthropist ,
founded The Working Men’s Club and Institute there were 136 certified and
enrolled clubs, only 13 of which were not within public houses.
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| Circa 1900 |
It
seems inevitable therefore that the inception of the Hallow Working Men’s club
was a room in the Plough Inn at the north end of The Green. It is probable that
a subscription was paid and, as today, all funds would be used for the mutual
benefit of members. We have a report that in 1899 the club was in funds to the
amount of £3.
The
Plough became a coffee tavern in 1883 and by 1891 we have reports of well
attended smoking concerts where convivial conversation, pipes and cigars were
enjoyed whilst good music was played. The problem was that often non-members
would wander through from the coffee tavern to join in.
To read the full research, click here
To read the full research, click here
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