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We still visit every highway in our parish. We now take seven nights to do this [look out for the leaflet through your door to tell you when we will be in your area}. We have visited 'bits' of St. Mary's, like Dora Road, and sung for more nights, but this is not now practical.
Some things have changed, like the trolley. In the early years, in fact, this was actually carried round and set down at intervals to sing by! It has been rebuilt at least twice and on the last occasion only two pieces of old wood and the wheels survived the process. It now has a steel torsion frame, so it should last for a few more years. How many harmoniums have succumbed to the wind, rain, snow and sleet they have suffered I don't know; quite a few but no one has come up with a better idea for "live" music yet. Each year the whole contraption has to be taken apart, the flashing lights and batteries returned to British Telecom with our thanks for their continued support, and stored, until the process starts again next year. We have changed our repertoire too. The last time was in our Golden Jubilee year when some old favourites that had been missing from our song sheets were added, and the song sheets waterproofed - very necessary sometimes! One pleasant tradition of recent years has been our participation in the Residents' Association Christmas tree lighting festivities. Another is the al fresco refreshment stop for mulled wine and mincepies part way along our route on some evenings - a big thank you to those residents who brave the weather to warm our hearts in this way.
Thank you, also, to all those who listen to the voice of Christmas and help us to help others by putting a donation in our collecting boxes. In 1947 we collected £33-5s-6d (£33-27p) and you would need £670 for the equivalent in purchasing power today. In 1997 we collected £1342-82, which is the highest actual cash total we have collected. In the intervening years the amounts have fluctuated but the total cash raised in 51 years is £22,519-49. The figure in today's money, £70,777-16, is even more impressive.
So where do we go from here? I hope that we shall go singing round the parish again in 1998. People need to question traditions though. Just because we have done something for 51 years doesn't mean it should go on for ever. It may well not. Already it is harder to find leaders, players, singers and even harmoniums! The community has changed too. More people seem to be out, perhaps at office parties, than used to be the case. So we will need to ask whether we should continue in the present format, what changes might renew the enthusiasm of past years. Should we change the charity we collect for? One thing we must not do is lose the tremendous goodwill, built up over half a century, of the community for our efforts.
William Featherstone
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