The committee for community spirit

The children of Southampton Street and Islingword Street would always play together. Prompted by this union, recalls L. Scarborough in Backyard Brighton, one day the parents of both streets got together a committee and collection so the children could have a party.

Recently I have found a postcard size photograph of the true community spirit which existed back in 1938. The photograph is of two streets combined together, Southampton Street and Islingword Street. The feelings among several people were such, that owing to so many children living in the two streets, and to break the monotony of con­tinual playing in the streets, they formed a committee. The outcome of a meeting was that they decided to contact every house-holder in the two streets and collect a few coppers (ld, in those days 12d = one shilling), now one shilling is 5p today (new pence). This they did, with every parent giving what they could afford open heartedly. The amount collected was made out on paper. Again the committee got to work, working out the various foods, sweets and drinks required.

The necessary foods were bought, with the different men and women (parents of all the children living in these two streets) setting to work making various fancy cakes, jellies, custard, var­ious fruit cakes, lemonade (home made), several gallons of tea also milk, also all the householders lending out cups and saucers, plates, jugs, knives and forks and spoons. Each end of Southampton Street was blocked off. The trestles, table tops, chairs and table cloths were lent by the Mission Hall in Islingword Road and also St. Lukes Hall and other organisations.

The arranged day arrived. What activity, plus excitement. Along came handbarrow loads of trestles, table tops, chairs (talk about happiness among the poor) with all the mothers and fathers working together in harmony, out came the various cakes, jellies, custards, sweets, in fact the lot, from all the various households who had arranged to do their bit. When everything had been set in place, hand bells were rung, letting all the children know that the time had arrived for them to take their places at the tables.