大象传媒

This is an extract from a parish newsletter, published in December 1944 in Hesketh Bank, Lancahsire ...

Hesketh Rectory
Hesketh Bank
December 1944

My Dear Friends,

Every good wish to you one and all, for Christmas. It is our sincere hope that even those farthest away will get this letter in time for Christmas.
We are thinking of you this month, of all months in the year, and herewith send you our love from this village and parish.
I could not help being struck with a very sensible remark in one of your letters to me about looking forward to the end of the war. "It is better to keep on and finish it than to think everything is over". We can see what the writer meant. It is the spirit of Sir Francis Drake's prayer who prayed that he might have grace not merely to begin a great work for God, but to be enabled to attain the glory of finishing it.
These letters give us many good thoughts, and we thank you for writing to us.
Here is a thought for Christmas. "Jesus shall reign first in our own hearts, then in our Homes. If we let Him reign, there is hope of happiness we have not known before, for our Country and the world".
Yours very sincerely,
A P THORNE

Points from Letters.
Jimmy Buck writes from Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia on September 29th. We apologise to him for not acknowledging his air graph dated June 9th, in which he speaks of Bulawayo near which he has been stationed. We wonder whether he has come across a Mr Marshall who went out a few years ago to a Government Railways post there from McLeod's Bungalow in Station Road, Hesketh Bank. Jimmy says the people out there are very kind and hospitable. In his second letter he reports having spent a few days in Durban, but was very disappointed in not "contacting" Bob Iddon there. He recently enjoyed nine days leave at the Victoria Falls, which are a wonderful sight. The people at Livingstone are very kind to the Service men and cannot do enough for them. He quotes Ralph Iddon to give us confirmation of this. He saw Ralph's name in a visitors' book at Livingstone and made enquiries as to his whereabouts only to find that he was back home on leave. Jimmy sends his regards to Harry Hoyle, Leslie Tiffin, and all the other boys.
John Jackson writes from Deal, Kent (October 31st). He congratulates Betty Dawson and Shirley Iddon on their 拢21 'Bring and Buy Effort', and William Ball on his engagement and wishes him all the best. He hopes to see Harry Hoyle soon and to have some interesting news for him, and sends his best wishes to Bill Ball (Newarth), Raymond Bailey, Bill Bailey, Stanley Holden and Arthur Taylor. (Many thanks John, for your message to the Rectory). He closes a cheery letter with "Roll on, Victory"!
Stuart Leadbetter writes from "somewhere in Holland" (October 24th). He has not yet been lucky enough to meet any of the Hesketh lads, but goes on hoping.
Joe Iddon (HMS Devonshire) writes (November 1st) after his few days leave to return thanks for his valued NLs, especially for "Country Lad" and Marsh News. He sends "Well done" to the WVS for their 拢124 effort, and wishes to be remembered to Robert Sharples and Tom Measham.
Ronnie Whiteside has written twice since our last NL. First on September 8th, he says he is very much alive and kicking even in slutch and mud worse than the old clay pit, wading in a couple of feet of water! He ends a wonderfully cheery letter with his best wishes to Leslie Bramwell, Gordon Iddon, and the Carr brothers. Secondly, on October 29th he writes to say that he is in the pink and hopes that the NL workers are the same. He has seen St Peter's, Rome, and (perhaps better still) Leslie Bramwell and Fred Carr, with whom (he says) "you can bet Lancs. was our talk". He is first to wish us a Merry Christmas.
W Melling writes from Hampshire (November 9th) to report that two of his NLs have been to Bombay and back. He surprises us by his news of picking potatoes in Hampshire, evidently killing time till the next ship, and he surprised himself by meeting a lad from Croston. He wishes to be remembered to his cousin Rigby Melling, Stacey Gautrey, Joe Power and Bert Miller; and all the lads at home and abroad.
Frank Taylor writes from Hereford to thank us particularly for the NL which he received when he was in the 'sick bay' in N Ireland. Recently he met Stephen Coulton, of Banks, who used to live in Moss Lane, Hesketh. He sends all the best to David Rimmer, Stacey Gautrey, Cecil Cookson and Peter Dawson.
Bob Iddon writes from Alexandria (October 17th). In spite of the censorship which renders his movements necessarily obscure and his personal news scanty, he has a timely warning for us all. He says he is greatly cheered at the good war news, "but" he continues, we must not forget that when Germany is beaten there is a fierce war to be fought out East". In closing he sends his congratulations to Nicky Rimmer on his school successes.
Thomas Bond writes twice this time, on October 31st from a hospital in Salford, and on November 13th from the Convalescent Depot near Chester. He met a Nurse Bentham, from Tarleton, when he was at Whittingham but he missed seeing Lilian Iddon. He says that the NLs smell of Hesketh air! He sends his regards to William Ainscough, hoping soon to see him at Hundred End again, also his greetings, if a bit belated, to George Taylor on his 'twenty-first'. Tom has managed to see the inside of five hospitals, a notable record. We are glad to know he is really better and we wish him the best of luck.
A Christmas card has arrived from Harry Whitehead 'wishing us all the best'. Very many thanks, Harry.
Leslie Bramwell writes (November 2nd) from CMF and tells us of the happy time he spent in Rome with Ronnie Whiteside and Fred Carr. He even slept with Fred. Both of them, he says, look well and fit, and we are to tell the Brick works that Ronnie is still the same old Ben.
Malcolm Taylor writes from Madley (November 9th) to thank "all the willing helpers in the village who do so much for us". (Sorry, Malcolm, for not noting your change of address).
Joe Power sends us greetings from the "Land of wooden clogs windmills and canals". He has just seen "For whom the bell tolls". So have we in Lord Street! What a small world it is.
Joe Eastham (SEAC) posted his on August 30th. It took about 8 weeks to come. He has just spent a nice leave up in the hills, with a climate like England, which Joe evidently enjoyed heartily, as it reminded him of home. (We hope it was not like recent weeks in Hesketh Bank!!) He greets William Melling with the hope that he will soon be able to settle down to married life properly.
John Taylor is now a Petty Officer. We send him our congratulations. He writes on a Sunday in October. The last NL he received was August. During his last leave in a Rest Camp he was able to spend two days of it touring the Holy Land. He says "I won't ever forget them. They made me speechless".
George Taylor writes from Holland (November 6th) He has been visiting windmills, and describes them as a real "Heath Robinson" effort. He drove the first Tank into Lille, and the second into Beauvais, knocking out a "King Tiger" in the centre of the town. Here too they captured their first German flag which is one of the finest souvenirs of the squadron's collection.

More extracts can be found at ...

^{About links}

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.