Youth Club 1955

click Organisations for Children for others

click Wyndham & Diane Bradley for their new Youth Club started about 1955

Hallmark. Extract from the Obituary of Ted Tanes. (click Ted & Jean Janes) :-

"As like many people, Ted and Jean`s lives were also directed by the wellbeing of their family.   (About 1958) when their daughter was about 12 years old, she, together with a number of her friends, appealed to them to take over the “Youth Club” which was going to close for lack of a leader.   They then held this position for 8 years to (about 1964). They cannot speak highly enough of this great bunch of youngsters and today see some of them as grandparents.   They feel pleased and privileged that perhaps they helped them a little along life`s way.

From the mid 1960’s there were for a while 2 clubs, one a Junior club led by Vera Griffiths who lived with her husband Vic in Roundlands (Vic & Vera Griffiths) and a senior club led by Peter Barnard who lived at the bottom of Little Lane, Loosley Row (Peter & Ellie Barnard) Both clubs were very successful at that time attended mostly by local teenagers. There were lots of things organised for the clubs, on one occasion the late Sir John and Lady Hall at the time the local member of parliament coming to the club to explain the internal workings of the House of Commons.

25 MILE WALK. On one occasion a sponsored walk was arranged over 25 miles,   it involved the whole village with the likes of Gordon Turner actually completing the walk and then going back to work straight after.   Of course the junior section by nature of the distance involved had so much sponsorship money riding on them.   Great care and encouragement was needed to get them home to complete the 25 miles on what was a very hot day, as a result of everyone’s hard work a large amount of money raised for charity.

CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME. On occasions the 2 clubs combined, particularly when it came to the Christmas pantomime.   This was usually performed over a couple of nights and on at least one occasion went on the road!   Ok it did one performance in Speen.   Vera Griffiths was one of the producers and as you would expect in the early weeks rehearsals were taken somewhat lightly by the cast, that is until the final couple of weeks when reality struck home, the costumes were being tried on made by parents and helpers, the scenery and lighting was taking shape and all the panic and nerves and of course fun that go with a village production.

AD-LIBBING. The performances were always fully booked and really enjoyed by the village folk, this was helped in part by some ad-libbing by the cast which of course got more laughs than the actual script.

BONFIRE NIGHT. Another joint event was the bonfire night celebrations.   It was here that Wilf Sanders (Wilf & 'Rene Sanders) brought in some experience.

A large bonfire was built in a very short time for security reasons as it wasn’t unusual for bonfires to mysteriously catch light prior to the actual day.   It was located in the field behind the Village Hall. The material collected by tractor, trailer, youth club members and willing helpers from around the village.

FLAMING TORCH PARADE. A parade, made up of the Youth Club members and probably a few responsible adults started at The Whip. Led by a tractor and trailer carrying the Guy, the procession, most carrying flaming torches, which had been made by Wilf Sanders using green sticks with sacking wrapped around one end, held in place with wire then dipped in old engine oil.  The parade wound its way down through the village, in those days it was possible to get a road closure for a village function, indeed the local policeman was always in attendance along with one or two St Johns ambulance volunteers.

THE GUY & FIREWORKS. The guy stuffed with the usual filling and several Crow Scarers (these were very loud agricultural bangers used to frighten birds etc off the crops) was placed atop the bonfire and the torches thrown by the parade members onto the fire.   Once fully alight there was an excellent fireworks display set off by more Youth Club members and helpers.   This was of course in the days before firework specialists were employed.

HOT DOGS & BAKED POTATOES. All the usual catering was available, hot dogs, baked potatoes coffee tea etc again organised by the Youth Club members, parents and helpers.

1969. Report in the Bucks Free Press.

Lacey Green and Loosley Row Youth Club's first pantomime last weekend may not have been ask slick as some, and perhaps a few people did forget their lines. But all in all, it was a roaring success.

The pantomime "Sleeping Beauty" was written by the Vicar of Harefield, Middlesex and adapted by the producer, Mrs. Vera Griffiths. She borrowed the script from the vicar while she was looking round for a suitable production for the Club. click Vic & Vera Griffiths for more about Vera.

Stars of the show were the three "members" of M.I.5, John Stevens, Ian Smith, and Geoffrey Burgess who were trying to track down the Prince and break the curse on the family. They clowned about, chatted to the audience, said each other's lines and generally brought chaos to the confusion.

The most delightful scene was when the animals, in paper sack costumes, came out to dance in the woods. This was the first pantomime the Club have ever attempted and only their second Stage show.

Other members of the cast were David Sanders, Diane Smith, Alan Prince, Jean Philibrown, Nick Page, Janet Burgess, Phillipa Fitzgerald, Christine Selby, Linda Dell, Georgina Cummins, David Oakford, Janet Milner, Jennifer Griffiths, Maureen Dell, Josephine Bradley, Julie May, Susan Davis, Phillipa Hawthorn, Kevin Joyce, Robert Dell, Karen Page, Siobhan O'Connor, Philip Dell, Nigel Kelleway, Christopher Selby, Christopher Stallwood, Josephine Macrow, Teresa Zajac, Linda Gutteridge, Susan Dormer and Brenda May.

Behind the scenes were Ian Smith, Robert Sanders, Max Browmriss, Mrs. P. Joyce, Mr. G. Nash, Mrs. M. Prince and Laurence Cummins.

Hallmark Lacey Green Youth Club. Report by Wilfred Sanders

Senior Section: P, Barnard, Braedene, Little Lane, Loosley Row,

Junior Section; Mrs, Griffiths, 11 Roundlands, Lacey Green,

The Club, with membership of over 70, has, for the past few months, had a very varied and interesting programme including a Harvest Service and supper, & large bonfire, firework display, and torchlight procession on November 5th. The Club wishes to thank all those in the village who so kindly helped in these ventures.

The Junior Section held a coffee morning in November and collected & for Multiple Sclerosis Society, Some members also attended a meeting of the Society at Hughenden and helped to serve tea,

Talks on "drugs" and the "Church", as well as discussions, have been held and the Club took part in the Wycombe Youth 'Top-of-the-Form' Competition, successfully passing into the next round,

As a prelude to Christmas, carols were sung outside the Village Hall around a decorated tree, kindly presented by Mr, and Mrs, Church, £) was collected for the National Children's Home,

The Pantomime "Mother Goose" was presented on December 31st, January 1^st and 2nd in the Village Hall.

Katheryn Prince, as Mother Goose, ably supported by her children, Jack and Jill, played by Lindsay Moore and Alison Day, headed a well-rehearsed east which included some younger members of the village playing the parts of fairies, chicks, goslings, demons, gandoliers, and spirits.

Many hours of preparation and hard work are needed to produce a pantomime and many thanks and much credit are due to Mrs, Griffiths, the producer, and all who helped behind the scenes.

The Pantomime was repeated at High Wycombe Baptist Union Hall on January 9^th and as a result £441 was raised for the High Wycombe Spastics Society.

Future arrangements include Ice Skating at Richmond once a month; swimming twice a month at Amersham; and ballroom danoing classes,