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The following is a description by Ken Allan who lived in the Bakery 1945-51.
St. John the Baptist C of E was located on the Caldecott Road, entrance was through a wire door to keep the birds out, and a porchway. As you entered the church itself, to the left was an open area where the font was located for baptizing babies. To your right were the pews, with a walkway going through the middle as far as the nave steps. On the extreme left of the pews was the organ and to your right at a 450 angle to the pews was the raised pulpit. Going up the two steps of the nave to the chancellery and alter were two choir stalls on either side. The left hand side being for the male voices and the right-hand side for the females, each stall could hold six choristers, during my time as a choirboy only the front stalls were used on the male side. The girls used the two, they always out numbered the boys. Continuing through the choir stalls you went up two steps to the alter where the vestments were set out, a large candle on either side, the offering cup and plate in the middle.
The organ was powered by hand operated bellows at the rear which required an even push and pull to give a proper flow of air to the pipes. Whoever was pumping the organ was given two knocks on the organ foot pedals to denote when to start pumping. The initial start up required three to four quick pumps to get the bellows full then you got into a rhythm.
Behind the organ was the vestry, where not only the vestments were stored when not in use but also cupboards for the surplice and cassocks for the vicar and choristers. Entrance to the tower was also gained through the vestry in addition to an outside entrance. Access to the tower was up a very narrow winding staircase of well worn stones, the floor immediately above the vestry was the bell ringers room where the sallies came through the ceilings of the floors above and the bell ringers actually rang the bells. Above this was the clock room where the mechanism of the clock was located, it was a seven day clock and was wound up once a week by using an enormous key. There were two springs that had to be wound up and these controlled the large pendulum that hung down almost into the bell room. Above the clock room was the belfry itself, with five bells of varying sizes. Apart from the five minute bell (the small hundred weight tenor bell) that was rung five minutes before the start of the service, the other four were not used whilst the war was on. From the belfry you could get onto the roof by negotiating six rather rickety wooden steps and get a magnificent 3600 view.
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Religion (part 2) |
