Mary Lemmon remembers the Chapel at Salthouse

slide show | 1897 | 1938 | 1949 | 1953 page1| 1953 page2 | 1993 | 1996 |

from a plane | from the church tower | old postcard views (hotspots on village map)| sea and boats

Violet High

Pamela Hayward

Alan High

Linda Holman

Janice Hayward

Norah Hayward

Sandra Woodhouse

Janet Cross

John Cooke

Christopher Thomas

Tony Thomas

Sally Cooper

Virginia Duffield

Mary Dawson

Linda Canon

Ann High and Hazel High

Sue Cooper

Richard Cooke

Mary Lemmon (née Dawson) remembers the Chapel

It is with a sense of guilt and feeling of sadness that I write. My grandparents’ generation worked, saved and gave to build this chapel, and my generation closed it. It was not only that they gave their time and money—a number of them were in danger of losing their jobs, homes and Christmas gift of coal and blankets if they continued to follow this different religion called Methodism, but in spite of the hardships it cost, the little chapel thrived.
It was different for my parents’ generation, they were not forced to sacrifice in order to keep the chapel going, and no-one was sent to try to stop their services. The chapel was strong. In my time, our Sunday worship was led by the minister from Sheringham or one of the Circuit Local Preachers. The chapel membership included at least six local preachers: Billy Cubitt, Billy Craske, Richard High, Tom High, Rodney High and Sidney Craske. These men travelled around the Cromer Sheringham and Holt Circuit preaching at various churches, and were greatly appreciated.

Mary (top right) with her Sunday School in the 1960s

Violet High and Mary at her presentation
on leaving to get married

Music played a great part in the services and we were fortunate to have so many organists and singers in the congregation. Sankey hymns were popular for the after-service sing-song, while Torrey-Alexander supplied the hymns they enjoyed for part-singing. Services of Song which included duets and solos were very popular and enjoyed by all. Herbert and Amelia Pigott were great favourites for their duets, as was Sidney Craske as a soloist for my generation. Dick High’s daughter Freda, and Gladys High were organists at this time. Sunday School Anniversaries were wonderful for the children when, dressed in their best clothes, they recited and sang with all their heart to the enjoyment of members and friends and relations who filled the chapel. Freda (now 94) tells me that the first time she played a hymn to lead the singing of the chapel congregation — it was “news”! — and she was heralded as the youngest girl to play for a congregation, with a photograph and a write-up in the local paper.

My memory of Sunday School is a happy one. I can still see the roll of wonderful pictures that Gladys showed to our class while she told us the Old Testament stories of Moses, Joseph and Daniel etc. in such a way that they have been special to me all my life. Freda and Gladys were organists for alternate services every Sunday, and Freda played for the Anniversary services which she arranged with her father and mother’s help. When Dick High moved away, my mother Ethel Dawson became Superintendent, and things went on much as before. Sunday School treats were now trips further afield, to Hunstanton and even Great Yarmouth.

I took on the Sunday School when my mother retired, with the help of Norah Hayward, and other friends gave extra help at Anniversary time. Gladys and I shared the job of organist until, owing to family illness, Gladys was unable to do so. When she was free again she was invited to play for the parish church as they had no organist, and she felt that she should, so she played at the church on Sunday mornings and attended her chapel afternoons and evenings.
A Youth Club developed from the Sunday School, but the problem was where to meet. Mr and Mrs. Tom Leach, who owned the Manor House at this time, were kind enough to let us use their ‘Barn Room’, and with the help of others such as Bill Curl and Eddy Hancock, the Club prospered.

Mary with a Sunday School group

click the pic to see it all

But the chapel numbers gradually decreased by deaths and by people leaving the village, younger people marrying and moving away (myself included). Grace Craske took over as organist and her playing was greatly appreciated. She carried on until, with numbers so small, the chapel was closed in the seventies—a sad day for us all.

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© Val Fiddian 2005