Wargrave Local History Society
Latest News - February 2009
Memories of a Vicar
![]() John and Barbara at their farewell service. Photo by Tim Hodges. |
John Ratings gave an entertaining and thoughtful account of his
Memories of a Vicar to a packed Hannen Room for the February meeting of
the Wargrave Local History Society. John had previously spoken to the Society about "Eccentric Vicars of Wargrave", based on research in the Parish Magazine (and later included in The Book of Wargrave). He suggested that the Parish Magazines of the last 37 years might reveal his own eccentricities - one of which was that he is an optimist, whereas most people are pessimists. John defined a pessimist as 'one who puts prunes on top of their all-bran for breakfast'! One of his disappointments over the years had been that in the past the memories of old village characters had not been re-corded. Much had been changed after World War 2 - previously the rich had depended on the 'working class' to look after them, tend their gardens etc, and the working class had depended on the rich for their livelihood. People 'knew their place', but there was an interdependence between them all which created a community. As he had got older, John had felt more interested in the community. The church had become too inward looking, and needed to involve itself more with what the village as a whole. Wargrave, he said, was still 'at heart' a community - a place that people delight in and love to share in community activities - a place that people don't want to leave. |
The next meeting is on Tuesday March 10th the Society will hold its AGM (when the programme for 2009-10 will be announced)followed by a Down Memory Lane evening..
All are welcome to our meetings, which begin at 8 pm - normally in the Hannen Room, Mill
Green.