Harvest Festival .....
 

On the second monday of October in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving (or, if you live in la belle province, Jour de l'Action de grace) ... this year it will be on October 12. Traditionally, Canadians will get together for Thanksgiving dinner .... usually turkey with all the tirmmings, often followed by pumpkin pie. This holiday has its roots in the harvest festival. I remember clearly that there was a harvest festival service at All Saints Church in Clayton, and because I attended All Saints School, I went every year. We took baskets of fruit, veggies, and bunches of flowers to the church. I do believe that these gifts ended up going to the poor; but I'm not sure about this. My grandad used to put together a basket of produce from his allotment back of Rishton Rd. Some might remember those allotments: my grandad had one, as did Tommy Pilkington, Tom Noble, and Basil Brierly.

Do they still have Harvest Festivals? Does anyone else remember going to them?

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My first ex mother in law (Welsh Methodist) insisted that I attend chapel for the harvest festival every year.
anything for a bit of peace:rolleyes:

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if ya get pumpkin pie eric, glad they done away wi em its crap.:eek:

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Pumpkin Pie ... fantastic ... but if you don't like the taste, feel free to slam it into the face of your least favorite politician:D

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My mum every year used to order a box of fruit and veg for the harvest service at church from andys florists .. and it would be all neatly cellophaned up and a ribbon bow on it, then id take it to church and all the other kids would be there with their homemade boxes ... all wrapped up with silver foil and clingfilm over the top.

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Harvest Festivals are still going strong in local churches but with a slightly different emphasis. In the old days (1950s) the centrepiece was always a "wheat sheaf" made of bread, from a local confectioner. Fruit, etc. was taken out to local pensioners afterwards. These days produce or money tends to be given to local good causes, e.g. Maundy Grange in Accrington, or to the Bishop of Blackburn's harvest appeal. Day schools still hold harvest festival - I've just been to two, at Green Haworth School and St. Paul's School, Oswaldtwistle. The old tradition of Harvest Queen seems to have died out in the local churches.

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We had a Harvest Queen festival at Hyndburn Park (either Infants or Juniors) during the 50's when a queen and her attendants were chosen and wore long dresses but my memory fails there as I don't remember the event itself or how we celebrated it, anyone help restore my memory? Does anyone also remember the Infant teachers?

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You had Infant teachers? Wow!

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Wonder at what age they started at teachers training college, Less :rolleyes:

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I can remember them even though they weren't held in catholic churches.
What I remember more is coming out of 10.o'clock mass at St, Mary's and running up Union Rd. to Holy Trinity church for the 'Coffee and Bun' morning!
Don't know what the priest would have said but I got the best of both 'worlds'

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Coffee and Bun was a tradition in Nonconformist Churches on New Year's morning. We always celebrated it at John Street Christian Institute, Oswaldtwistle. I'm thinking back to the 1950s. The buns were made at Lockwood's, 48/50 Union Road - may have been called something else then! Mr. Borwick of Walter Street used to make the coffee - always very strong. I think Rhyddings Methodist maintained the tradition for a long time - don't know whether it's still celebrated or what the origin of the custom was!

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Perhaps the coffee was to counteract a New Year hangover?:rolleyes:

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Not necessarily so - we had them at methodist sunday school - most of them had 'signed the pledge'.

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I can remember when members of Spring Hill Methodist Church used to organise a kind of Saturday Summer Fair on the old Grammar School playing fields where Mount Carmel is now .
Free coffee and buns were one the features .

My favourite was going on the swing boats .

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I recall attending a "Festival of Queens" in Accy town hall circa 1970 dressed as Antley Meths page boy. I suspect a similarly named festival would have different target group these days.

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The Coffee and Bun was certainly not for counteracting a hangover! At John Street Christian Institute we were completely teetotal. The late Minister's widow, Mrs. Harrison, used to tell people not to eat wine gums because she thought they contained wine! I went to the Band of Hope every Monday night for years. My Dad used to play the piano there. We used to sing choruses, have Bible stories, etc. The best behaved child got a "good behaviour prize". We were also very into the Lord's Day Observance Society, the junior branch of which was the Young Life Guards - you had to sign something promising "not to buy or sell or cause any unnecessary labour on the Lord's Day" - this meant things like buying a Sunday paper or paying a bus fare, unless it was to travel to church of course! Don't know what all these people would think if they could come back now - supermarkets open Sundays, etc. They'd turn in their grave!

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When I was a young lad I attended St James church in Clayton-le-Moors where every Whit Monday we walked all around Clayton with all the other churches, with each church having a band playing at the front, after the procession we all met on the woodlands to be served coffee and buns.
When I became eighteen and old enough to go in to pubs and clubs I was a member at the Con club just on the canal bridge and on Whit Monday stood with my mates on the steps outside the club watching all the young girls growing up into women. Happy days

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I remember the Whit Walks ... in fact, I think I might have a couple of pics ... now if only I can remember in what safe place I put them.:confused:

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Me too - used to walk down from Accy to my gt-gt-uncle's house, 14 Whalley Road Clayton, to watch them - what a great spectacle with all the bands and banners. Would love to see any photos you could find, Eric.

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In an Observer a couple of weeks ago my wife was one of the brownies processing from 1971 as photographed by G Dawon

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Is that viewable online, Clive?

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Not sure Sue. Mum in law had saved it from a couple of weeks ago same page as Dennis Taylor with some snookery friends.

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No couldn't find, can't look at a page via the new Accy Obs site, very Manchester centric. Found Dennis Taylor but that's it. Never mind, thanks anyway.

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Found it Sue. Scan down attached page.
Looking back: Snooker legend Dennis Taylor's visit to Accrington - Accrington Observer
(Tight in the quiz btw!)

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And another! It's like buses.
Census forms, beauty contests and church ... - Accrington Observer
Mount Pleasant Ossy this time.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to find those Clive, must say the website had me defeated (and you know I don't like that!).

The guides procession pic is looking up Whalley Road Accy towards Clayton - we used to live just the other side of the bridge. But look at the length of the skirts! Wow!! I was in Cannon Street guides a decade earlier and took part in many processions - remember it well. I've also got some photos of walking days like the one in one of the other pics you've posted - might look them out some time.

Since we've strayed off thread (which is about harvest festivals) it was also good to see the market photo what a dfference from today, eh? And finally, yes it is tight in the quiz - especially since you didn't play yesterday! Thanks for that! I'm still chasing that elusive top average, but I think the eleven people we've got now make a good team and are good to play against. Just wish we had some better questions sometimes. See you there later on...

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No problem Sue. Coincidentally my wife lived in the same area at this time - Owen street but was probably a bit young for your crowd I guess.

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We used to walk from Ossy over Dill Hall to Clayton to watch the Whit Walks. Then we used to go on to Great Harwood for the Agricultural Show. We then used to call at "Sunnyside Cafe" on Whalley Road, Great Harwood for ice cream. The cafe was run by one of my uncles, Joe Addison.

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Judith I think you could have got slightly confused, Whit Monday afternoon was always taken up with the annual Enfield/Accrington cricket match and the pubs and clubs had all day licence to stay open. Great Harwood Show was always Whit Tuesday, it is now held on Spring Bank holiday.

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Harvest Festival early/mid 70s at St Johns Church Accrington thats me at the back the picture was in the Observer. :eek:

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The girl in front of you seems rather non-plussed. Had you been barging her in the posterior with your offerings to get to Rev Crook?

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I thought that then I thought she's just about to turn round and walk back ? Then again it could just be that I'd forgot to put any trousers on !!! :eek:

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I remember being crown bearer for the Harvest Queen of Spring Hill Methodist Church when I was about 7 (1957)