Whitsun treat par excellence

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place" - not in Jerusalem on this occasion but in Swanbridge!

Swanbridge            Photo: Francis Frith

 Three years ago I searched for an image of a typical Whitsun treat. I found just one showing children paddling in a brook. Today I found a gem of a movie. The church is in Cardiff but the Whitsun treat was a trip along the South Wales coast to Swanbridge. Another check revealed that despite the headlined sharp decline in Christianity and advance of Islam, Clive Street Baptist Church is still active, holding their own against seven mosques in their area out of a total of 33 in Cardiff.

 The images in the film convey a different era. Note the orderly conduct. No pushing and shoving compared with today's 'me first' society when heads are bowed over mobile phones rather than in worship. Our churches must take some responsibility for this. Many have ditched the beauty of the old prayer book replacing it with modern, meaningless mumbo jumbo completely at variance with 'other worldly' worship in a vain attempt to be relevant to modern society. Damian Thompson here gives his take on the new detailed analysis of the 2011 census figures and how our attitude to religion has changed. In another wish to modernise, last year USPG changed their name to Us. The Anglican News Service praised the change with the catchy message: Years of traditional mission activity have helped us to realise that there is no ‘us and them’ only an ‘us’. 

This was picked up by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. When speaking at the launch, he praised the new name ‘Us’ as being a ‘wonderfully ambiguous and non-specific title’ which is suited to a world in which boundaries constantly shift because it is ‘very difficult to tell where “us” stops and “them” starts’. But it seems to me that there is a new 'them'; it is us, the so-called traditionalists. Acknowledging that the 'Us' launch took place on the day General Synod voted against women bishops, Us Chief Executive Janette O’Neill said: ‘We were concerned that our launch event would be over-shadowed by the sadness of many at the outcome of the vote. But, far from it, my sense was that the launch of Us – with our emphasis on inclusion – was a sign of hope for the future of the Church of England.’ 

Some hope! Commenting recently in his blog about General Synod vacancies The Ugely Vicar wrote "there has been an agenda: defeat the Anglican Covenant, get women bishops, get LGBT inclusion". 

Enjoy the treat. We will not see its like again.

Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire

The feast of Pentecost brings to a close Novena 2012 when we have been praying for unity and generosity of spirit so that our church may be truly inclusive. Pentecost is the feast people of my generation associate with the Whitsun treat. What better treat could there be than for the Holy Spirit to inspire Christ's disciples to live together in peace and Godly love, each allowing the other to worship according to custom and conscience.

Whitsun Treat

Children paddling in Roath [Cardiff] during Whitsun Treat - c 1930s

Today on Whit Monday in years past children would have been off on their Whitsun treat. Intrigued to see how others spent their childhood treat I ‘Googled’ and was surprised to find just the one image (above) taken in Cardiff, South Wales, in the1930s. Asking my wife about her memories she told me that she used to go off to the seaside in a charabanc. How posh! I went on the back of a lorry to a hired field although, if I remember correctly, in later years a double-decker bus was used but the venue was always the same.

Such simple pleasures, paddling at the seaside or in a brook followed by a picnic tea, probably with a blob of ice cream from a big tub as a special treat. No paddling for us but healthy, organised sports and games. Thinking back the adults must have had a busy time planning and organising Whitsun treats. The weather was always unpredictable with Whitsun being a movable feast so a marquee was provided. Responding to the calls of nature with men, women and children of both sexes present required at least four suitably enclosed pits that had to be dug – and sorted out afterwards. Also as part of the setting up, the games had to be planned and the sporting events organised requiring the course to be marked out and starters, judges, marshals, etc, assembled. Last but not least the food had to be provided with mothers volunteering to make cakes and prepare sandwiches. Drinks were provided along with a packet of Smith’s potato crisps, with salt in a twist of blue paper – add your own or leave it, what a good idea!

Today it is different. Children are in school - unless of course it’s another day off for teacher training which for some reason can’t take place during their long summer holidays. Few will be aware of Whitsun or the feast of Pentecost let alone the descent of the Holy Spirit unless it is mentioned in passing during inter-faith studies. But not everything is lost. They will still have their day off for the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May when, as one site puts it “For many people the spring bank holiday is a pleasant day off work or school. Some people choose to take a short trip or vacation. Others use the time to walk in the country, catch up with family and friends, visit garden centres or do home maintenance.”

What could be better than that, sat in the traffic in a hot car or sat on a square of concrete eating a greasy barbecued meal without having to bother with anyone and no community spirit?

Veni, creator Spiritus!