Tuesday 14 April 2009

Blankney School - Class Of The 1940s

Blankney school children (around the early 1940s)
(Click to enlarge image)

Brainteaser - Monday's Answer

On Monday the brainteaser had a sporting flavour. Were you able to match the sports with the well known sporting personalities? Here are the answers.

01 Tennis
02 Football
03 Cricket
04 Boxing
05 Horse Racing
06 Athletics
07 Snooker
08 Golf
09Table Tennis
10 Darts

9/10 Excellent 7/8 Very Good 5/6 Good - Less than 5 Watching too much TV

Thought For Today

I don't know the key to success but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby

Today's Smile




Canon J. O. Stephens

In recent articles on Blankney history I have made reference to John Otter Stephens, who was Rector of the parish from 1879-1903. This article concerns Mrs Stephens, the Rectors wife. Whilst the Rev. Stephens was Rector of the parish, the village Post Office was run by Lizzie Sharp. It would appear that Lizzie Sharp and the Rector's wife became great friends and kept in touch long after the Rector and his wife had left the village. The following letter was written by Lizzie Sharp in reply to one she had received from Mrs Stephens. The letter was written on 31 July 1945 shortly after Blankney Hall had been destroyed by fire. However, they had clearly not been in touch for some time prior to this correspondence.



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31 July 1945


Dear Madam

I was very pleased indeed to receive a letter from you, it seems like olden times just to see your handwriting. "Yes" it is very sad to see the Hall in such a terrible state. Her Ladyship had about five or six rooms at the east end, all the rest of the house was used by R.A.F. as an operating station. The fire broke out in the top story of the east end belonging to her Ladyship in the blanket room and very quickly spread All this end of the house is destroyed as far as the dining room, it was saved and all the kitchen part. They say it was very old and dry so despite all the fire engines from Lincoln and Digby Camp it burned like match wood. About 150 WAAF were homeless as all there sleeping rooms was burnt out. It was a terrible sight I never wish to see such a one again, and being on a Sunday evening about 5 o'clock when it was discovered we had no evening service. This Rector was with her Ladyship helping to save what things they could. You will be surprised to hear poor Harry Rossington has been dead five years. Annie is still in her little home. I go to sit with her sometimes of an evening as she as no one else. She sends her kind regards to you and Mrs. Mortimer we often talk of the old days when you were at the Rectory. Times have changed since then, our dear little church is still the same. I go every Sunday, when I am able. This Rector is not very popular in the village he came from a bombout church in London. They call him Rev. Matthews, I am very thankful our church did not suffer during the war, we had a few incendiaries on the Hall and started a fire one night, but they soon got it put out. We have lost Mr. Edwards I have missed them very much. Ida is still at the school at Hunstanton and Elsie is still teaching in London but they do not often visit their old home. I have not seen either of them for some time. You will remember Gloss Haire and his wife being in the village, they have both passed on, their is not many left as you would know. Mr. Midwinter was very [pleased] to hear you were well, and wished to be remembered to you. I was so pleased to hear about the young ladies, fancy Miss Violet being Grandma, excuse me calling her by the old name I should of said Lady Campbell, it seems no time really since she was a young lady. I saw in the paper about Lady MacMichals husband being wounded I do hope it was not serious, I think you told me the last time you called to see me that Lady MacMichal was gone to Palestine. You will no doubt be pleased to get back to your own Flat in London, though you have all suffered round London during the War. We have missed Rev. & Mrs Sibthorpe very much he was a very good clergyman, we all liked him very much. The church is still the same but the Churchyard is very untidy, not a bit as it used to be. The sexton is a man called King he came from Metheringham to live in the village. The organist is a young woman from Metheringham too, the choir is not very good a few girls and one or two women and four men, not like the good choir we used to have. The school teacher is a woman who lives in Metheringham it is only an infant school now. All the bigger children at the age of eleven go to Metheringham. I do wish you could come and see us all again once more, we should be pleased to see you and Mrs. Mortimer too. Will you please give my kind regards to her. My sister still lives at Metheringham she lost her husband about six years ago. She asked me to give her kind regards to you. I still keep the P.Office though I have a deal of work, the service people make a great deal of work, but still I am thankful to be able to do the work and keep my home.


With very kind remembrances
I remain yrs
respectfully
Lizzie Sharp


Footnote
Blankney Hall was East facing and the ends of the Hall therefore were South and North facing. In her letter Lizzie talks of the fire breaking out in the East end of the house. In fact it broke out at the North end and spread Southwards. Lady Londesborough's quarters were towards the South end of the Hall.