Old Parish Magazines

of St James A. & M.

Issue No 

Vicar - Rev. Charles Vernon
Churchwardens : Mr T Morgan, Parkhill Lodge, Whitecroft. Mr S. R. Miles, Woodside, Bream

The Vicar's Letter

My dear friends. I am sorry to say that there is rather an emphasis on money in the magazine this month.But I do hope the suggested tribute to the memory of the Rev. G. W. L. Cass will meet with general approval. He was much loved as the father in God to all Bream folk whatever their denomination, because he never spared himself in the Master's service. I hope that gratitude and love will show themselves in tangible form in response to this appeal.
Your church council has engaged a firm to enlarge and make safe, the stoke-hole and the entry to it, and we have ordered an electric blower to be fitted to the organ, This is really a necessity for the conduct of the musical part of the services, and we hope to find the necessary money by the end of the year. The cost is £60.
If the church is to do its work properly, and if the building is to be worthy as the house of God, there must be a regular income, and we are rather concerned that the amount of money collected each sunday does not seem to be in fair proportion to the number who attend the church.
As a matter of interest, we analysed the collections over a period of seven weeks in the summer, and found that half the coins were coppers, 17 per cent were 3d pieces, and 22 per cent were sixpences and from an average of 220 people per Sunday, only 13 gave a shilling or more. When one pauses to think how much a shilling will buy (sweets, clothes, beer, cigarettes, food etc.) and how much everything which the church must buy (fuel, electricity, vestry and altar furnishings, etc.) has gone up in price, we do not hesitate to suggest that many of the congregation might give more to God's service each week. Heaven forbid that the poor should ever stay away from church because of poverty, yet all of us must give as generously as we can if our church shall be worthy of the worship of God, the giver of all good things,
We need to save quite a lot, because the old roof is beginning to become insecure and will need attention in the spring. It is 130 years old and secured by wooden pegs which have naturally rotted away after so long a time. Meanwhile please note the warning printed below.
All good wishes.
Yours sincerely in our Lord.

Charles Vernon
Vicar

WARNING
DO NOT LEAVE THE FOOTPATH, OR WALK IMMEDIATELY UNDER THE CHURCH ROOF, AS THEIR IS A DANGER FROM FALLING STONES.

From the Parish Register
HOLY BAPTISM
Sep 5 Wendy Kathleen Ellsmore, Tufts Junction, Whitecroft.
Sep 8 Diane Edith Baggus, Sun Tump.
Sep 19 Christopher William Reginald Morgan, Oakwood Road.
Sep 19 Diane Wildin, Field view, The Tufts.
Sep 19 Linda Margaret Johns, Mill Hill.
HOLY MATRIMONY
Sep 18 Cyril James Lee (Lydney Lane) and Elsie May Voyce (Box Tree Villa, Bream).
Sep 18 Harold Hill, of Whitecroft and Ursula Gladys Lansdown (58 Parkend Road, Bream)
HOLY BURIAL
Aug 30 Annie Payne, of Lydney Lane, aged 73.
Aug 30 Linda Margaret Rees, of the Tufts, aged 1 month.
Sep 4 William Richards Teague, of 7 Parkend road, aged 80.
Sep 19 Alice Maud Mary Hughes, of 3 Highbury Road, aged 60.

OBITUARY
Annie Payne who died on August 26th, had bravely borne a long illness, during the latter part of which she had been living away from Bream. he was always a faithful and zealous member of the church, and now continues to serve God faithfully in the glory of His Nearer Presence.
Linda Margaret Rees - our especial sympathy to the parents of this little baby, whom it has pleased God to take back so early to the Heavenly home.
William Richards Teague, who lived to the ripe age of 80, was also well known and respected in Bream and the neighbourhood. There will be many who had gone on before him to welcome him beyond the gate to eternal life.
Alice Maud Mary Hughes was a lifelong member of the parish church and served for many years on the church council, as well as being always ready to take an active part in all the church activities.

To the near relatives of all the above, we extend our sympathy and good wishes.

COMING EVENT
Sunday, October 17th: 122nd anniversary of the consecration of the church. Preacher at evensong, Rev. B Prime, vicar of Lydbrook.

GEORGE WILLIAM LEONARD CASS, PRIEST
It is common knowledge that the Reverend G.W.L. Cass B.A., was the sixth vicar of this parish, during the period 1902-1919, and that he died in 1947, There are many homes in the parish where, after nearly 30 years, Vicar Cass id still remembered by his photograph on the mantelpiece, but there must be many more of the older generation (some of whom have moved away from bream years ago, and others who still live here) who look back with gratitude to his kindly and tireless ministry among them.
Therefore your church council feels that many would like to subscribe to a worthy memorial to his priesthood in Bream, and it has been agreed to open a fund immediately. Boxes will be provided at various centres in the village and payments can be made (by post or otherwise) to the vicar, churchwardens, or church treasurer.
It may not be so well known that the beautiful oak reredos and screen, behind the altar, were given to the church by the Cass family, many years ago. in memory of vicar Cass's family, who was also a priest, and who celebrated his last Holy Communion before his death at the Bream altar. So the most suitable memorial would seem to be a new oak altar, in keeping with the reredos, to replace the present one, which is in vary bad repair, and quite unworthy of its purpose.
We are now making enquiries for estimates of cost, etc., and hope to publish full details next month. Should there be any balance, it would be put towards the cost of the electric blower.
Please make your contribution as soon as possible, and it will be helpful if those who read this, and who have friends or relations (who would remember Mr. Cass, but are not now living in Bream), would let them know, so that they too may have an opportunity to subscribe.
All subscribers will receive an acknowledgement, and the list of names (without specifying amounts of individual gifts) will be published - so all sums are welcome, however small, so that the list may be as long and as representative as possible.

THE CENOTAPH
On Sunday September 19th, the church was full for the opening part of the ceremony of dedicating the tablet of names of those who died in the 1939-45 war. The Lydney silver band led the procession of British Legionaries and others to the church, and evensong began punctually at 6 p.m., when the banners of the men's and women's branches were placed in the sanctuary, and wreaths laid on the retro-altar. Mr Barrett, of Lydney, representing the Methodist church,read a lesson and led the prayers. The other lesson was read by Mr D Adams, representing the demobilised soldiers of the second world war,
After evensong, the processional cross and the band led the worshipers to the cenotaph, where Mrs Moore unveiled the tablet, and the vicar dedicated it. The male voice choir (leader, Mrs W.O. Davies) sang the anthem, and after prayers by Mr Barrett, Last Post and Reveille, the congregation sang "O God, our Help in ages past".
But we cannot conclude this report without mention of the financial situation. The whole cost of cleaning and refurbishing the cenotaph, making and erecting the new tablet and flower vase, etc., amounts to about £166. At the week-end only £106 13s 9d had been received. The church council gave £10, and the collection in church (£7 10s 3d), surely a larger sum than has been received at any one service for a long time, was also allocated to the cenotaph fund. The net amount received in boxes at the Tump was £5 4s 0d., making a total of £129 8s 0d. Thus a further £37 or so needs to be found.
Seeing how so many people attended the ceremony, and how sincerely they all took part,it seems clear that most Bream people, if not all, do feel that this memorial is a village affair, and so it should be the concern of the whole village to see that the rest of this money is forthcoming. It has fallen to a few members of the men's and women's branches of the British Legion to do all the hard work - and nobly and tirelessly they have done it. But it is not fair that they should be left to battle against the apathy (which is much more difficult than opposition!), tediously to collect the rest. I suggest that other village organisations and individuals, who have not yet done so , might now come forward and make a contribution, small or great, to the secretary, Mr F Griffiths, of Woodside, to any other officer of the British Legion.
C.H.V.

Advertisers in this issue :

Williams and Cotton
C S Jones.......................................................General Store, Bream
F B Hirst and Sons..........................................Grocers
T W H James..................................................Hairdresser
H Horsley.......................................................Electrical
H C Treherne..................................................Newsagent
S R Miles........................................................Ironmonger
Watkins and Lewis..........................................Builders
Len Crosse.....................................................Butcher
R Lewis..........................................................Shoes
Frank Morse...................................................Undertaker
Niblett Bros....................................................Monumental Sculptors
F Blower........................................................Maypole Garage
Herbert and Hill..............................................Haulage Contractors
H P Turner and son........................................Vetinary and Family Chemist
E J Emmott.....................................................Clothing, Footware, Household Goods.