27th Jan 1928 - Town Silver Band Annual Meeting

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Town Silver Band Annual Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Buntingford Town Silver Band was held at the Foresters' Hall on Thursday in last week. Dr R.W. Fell presided.

The hon. secretary, Mr S. Smith, presented the accounts for 1927, the following being a copy of the balance sheet.

[Transcriber note - I'm not going to try to recreate the table here, see the original image if you're interested in the figures.]

The balance sheet was adopted, the Chairman remarking on the satisfactory position and congratulating the members on their work during the past year. He also impressed upon them the importance of practising every day.

The hon. secretary said they all appreciated the Chairman's remarks. The members felt that they were now on a good footing; they had that day received a cheque for £5 from Captain and Mrs Williams to start the 1928 season. (Applause)

Election of Officers

Col. Sir Chas. Heaton-Ellis, C.B.E., was re-elected President, other officers being elected as follows - Bandmaster, Mr E.J. Smith; Deputy-Bandmaster, Mr W. Smith, hon. secretary, Mr S. Smith, and hon. treasurer, Mr F. Anthony. The committee was re-elected, with the addition of Messrs G. Attwood and A.Smith.

Hearty votes of thanks to Miss Baker for her help during the year, the officers, and the Chairman, concluded the meeting.

19th Oct 1928 - Death of Mrs C. Perry

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Death of Mrs C. Perry

We regret to record the death, which occurred recently, of Mrs C. Perry, who passed away at her daughter's house at Mardock, near Ware.

Mrs Perry was for some years a well-known and respected inhabitant of this town, and was the widow of Mr C. Perry, who served as a guard on the Buntingford branch of the Great Eastern Railway for over twenty years; he was one of the Company's most faithful servants.

Mrs Perry, who was 76 years of age, had been ill for some time, during which she was nursed by her daughter, Mrs Groom of Mardock.

The moral remains were conveyed to Buntingford by rail and carried to Aspenden, in which Churchyard they were laid to rest in the grave of her husband. The Rector, Rev. L.A. Ewart, conducted the service, during which the hymn "Jesu, Lover of my soul" was sung.

There were many old friends at the graveside to pay their last respects to the deceased. The immediate mourners were Mrs Ivory, Mrs P. Bennett, Mrs Baker, Mrs Groom (daughters), Mr Ivory, Mr P. Bennett and Mr Groom (sons-in-law), Mr T. Perry (son) and Mrs T. Perry (daughter-in-law).

12th Oct 1928 - Buntingford Board of Guardians

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Buntingford Board of Guardians

MONTHLY MEETING

ANXIOUS FOR THE CLOSING OF CASUAL WARDS

The monthly meeting of the Buntingford Board of Guardians was held at the Board Room on Thursday (yesterday) morning, when there were present: Mr C. Hummerstone (in the chair), Mrs K.J. Dimsdale, Capt H.H. Williams, Messrs. G.C. Wilson, H. Ward, J. Russell, S. Pigg, A.J. Hayes, E.J. Marshal, G. Graves, J. Bygrave, and H.E. Dudley, with the Relieving Officer (Mr B.E. Thody), the Clerk (Mr E.C. Clarke) and the Master (Mr F.W. Butler).

The House Committee reported that they had visited the wards at the Institution and found them clean and the inmates cheerful. The Committee recommended that several ceilings be white-washed, for which there was no immediate hurry. The Committee also reported that it had been impossible to solicit tenders for the alteration of windows in the dining hall as the sizes required were not standard and it would probably be necessary to cut away the brickwork, which the Committee hoped to avoid, so the matter was left in the hands of the Chairman to arrange with Mr Thody to go into the matter further.

The Master reported that during the month gifts had been received from Mrs F.R. Williams (books), Miss Davies (sponge cakes), the Rev. E. McKerr (produce from Meesden harvest festival and also from the festival at Wyddiall), Rev. W.L. Shepherd (produce from Great Hormead harvest festival), and Rev. A. Howard (grapes). 

Miss L.M. Baker brought her pupils to the Institution and they gave gifts to the inmates and also sang harvest hymns in the sick wards. The Layston Church Choir also assisted with the singing at the harvest service in the dining hall on Sunday evening last. The Master had written to the kindly donors thanking them on behalf of the Board. 

Since the last meeting 494 casuals had been admitted against 257 for the corresponding period last year. The number was made up as follows - First week 101, second week 117, third week 147, fourth week 129. The accommodation was sufficient.

Mrs Dimsdale pointed out that the casual wards at Hatfield and other unions were closed, and this naturally made more seek admission at Buntingford Union. She did not think it was fair for a small union like Buntingford to have to relieve the large number of casuals when the casual wards of much larger unions were closed.

It was resolved that the Clerk enquire into the matter, with a view to obtaining sanction for the closing of the casual wards here.

The Board dealt with several relief cases and issued instructions to the Relieving Officer.

Among the correspondance was a circular from the Ministry of Health authorising the discontinuance of the examination of casuals; and a resolution from the Cockermouth Union with reference to unemployment, which the Board left on the table.

5th Oct 1928 - Death and Funeral of Mrs (Ida) Smith

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Death and Funeral of Mrs Smith

Yet another of Buntingford's old inhabitants has been removed by the death of Mrs Smith, of Norfolk Road, who passed away on Friday last.

The deceased, who was 67 years of age, had been ill for several weeks. Mrs Smith came to reside in the town about thirty years ago, and shortly afterwards her husband passed away at the age of 42. Mrs Smith therefore outlived her husband by over twenty years. The deceased leaves a grown-up family, to whom sympathy is extended.

The funeral took place at Layston Church on Wednesday afternoon, the Rev. A. Howard officiating. The immediate mourners were Messrs. J. And G. Smith (sons), Mrs T. Perry, Mrs Baker, Mrs Macallen and Mrs Piggott (daughters), Mr and Mrs J. Ginn (brother and sister-in-law), Mrs E. Ginn (sister-in-law), Mr Piggott and Mr C. Baker (sons-in-law), Mr and Mrs John Swallow (brother-in-law and sister), Mrs Crook and Mrs Story (neices), and Reginald Smith and John Turk (grandson).

There were several beautiful wreathes, including one from the neighbours in Norfolk Road. The coffin was of plain elm with brass furniture, and bore a name plate inscribed: "Ida Smith, died September 28th, 1928, aged 67 years."