I was a member of the choir at St John’s Farsley from age seven, until I took my first organists post at age seventeen, My future father in law was Vicar at the parish when I was there, and I recollect a photograph being taken of myself, my future father I law, and an elderly gentleman who had sung in the choir for years on the occasion of the opening of a new choir vestry
I recall it was behind the choir vestry that I was introduced to my first cigarette! I hasten to add that I didn’t become addicted, and gave up smoking completely when I went away to Bretton Hall to train to become a teacher at the tender age of 18.
My time in the choir was a very happy one. The choirmaster was quite a character, and he almost ran the choir as a social event. There were four families The Bentleys, Edmondsons, Exleys and Swales’ who used to regularly meet up on a Saturday afternoon for an outing to the Dales, the seaside or any other places of interest, Collectively they were known as the BEES. We seemed to often finish up at Harry Ramsden’s Fish & Chip shop at Guiseley, which in those days was the place that all the day trippers on coach outings called at on their way back home. The Exley family had a little Austin A30 which had pull down windows and Gilbert would make the motion of pulling down the window, followed by the immortal words “Ave we te go to Harry’s?”
Yesterday wifey and I were supposed to be visiting my Mum in law, but our youngest daughter turned up, so wifey went with her, whilst I stayed at home composing this blog. Wifey is a great believer in coincidences. When she came home she was clutching a photograph in her hand which my mother in law had given her. It was the self same photograph I had been describing in paragraph two!
..and another coincedence Eldest daughter and family support the Bees rugby team!!!!!!
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