Victorian
The closing days of 1878 and the first hours of 1879 gave the people of Leigh a Christmas season rich in entertainment, and the Kent and Sussex Courier of Friday 3 January 1879 recorded it all in detail. The newspaper's notice covered the stretch from 23 December through to 1 January, and it makes fascinating reading for anyone curious about how our village once marked the festive fortnight.
The hard frost of late December proved a blessing for those who enjoyed the ice. A large skating party gathered at the lake at Hall-place, and the occasion was made all the more festive by the presence of the Leigh band, which attended to play for the company. Those on the ice did not merely glide about; they performed quadrilles and other dances on the frozen surface, turning the lake into an open-air ballroom. It is a picture very different from anything we might see today.
Indoors, there was learning as well as amusement. The National Schoolroom hosted a lecture at which Dr Cranage spoke on 'The Tabernacle'. To help his audience picture the ancient structure, the talk was illustrated by a large model, measuring eight feet by five. Adding to the spectacle, two attendants appeared dressed as Israelite priests; one of them wore the full robes of the High Priest, complete with mitre and ephod. It must have been a striking evening for villagers of all ages.
The children of the Sunday School were not forgotten. They attended a special church service held on the Saturday at three p.m., at which the address was given by the Vicar of Shipbourne. Afterwards the young people returned to the schoolroom for tea, where Mr Bridger of Tonbridge entertained them with a magic lantern show. Gifts had been provided for the children by the vicar and the teachers, rounding off a happy afternoon.
New Year's Day brought the annual Christmas tea, an event of real generosity. Samuel Morley, Esq., M.P., gave the tea to his workpeople, and over 200 men, accompanied by their wives and families, sat down to a meat tea at six o'clock. The Rev. H.R. Collum opened proceedings with prayer and spoke to the gathering. Samuel Morley himself then offered his workpeople some practical advice in his speech, and he was followed by other members of his family: Henry Morley took as his subject 'Temperance, Prosperity, and Happiness', while Charles Morley spoke about the progress of music in the village.
Music was certainly not in short supply that evening. The Leigh Choral Society sang glees, part songs, and choruses for the company. Nor were presents lacking: every man and boy employed by Morley received a gift, and each member of the Choral Society was given a book by Miss Morley. The evening drew to its close with the singing of the National Anthem, after which the vicar pronounced the Benediction.
One footnote to the festivities: while the frost had made for fine skating in late December, the weather on New Year's Day itself was most inclement. Those 200 or more guests made their way to the tea through far from pleasant conditions, which perhaps made the warmth of the schoolroom all the more welcome.
This article was written by Joyce Field and first appeared in the Parish Magazine in March 2014.