Thorne Heritage Weekend

Thorne Methodist Church Heritage Weekend and Harvest Festival

Saturday, 19 September saw Thorne Methodist Church throw open its doors to the public for one of Doncaster's Heritage Open Days. Inside, the stewards had laid out photographic records of the last 200 years. From ten o'clock the kitchens were doing a roaring trade with teas, coffees and bacon sandwiches as the visitors passed through six rooms of pure nostalgia showing Sunday School queens, Wives' outings, weddings, christenings, lord mayors' shows, coronations, theme days and other events up to this year's bicentenary.

By 10.30 am guests were sitting in the chapel to hear Frank Carpenter's illustrated presentation on Doncaster's Edwardian Girl Preachers who volunteered to come to Thorne.  The girls were part of a national revival and could be seen wearing the fashions of the day.  Some even overlapped with Suffragette movement as women moved into traditional male roles.

Mingling with the crowds was local M.P., Lee Pitcher, (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme), who was presented with a souvenir china beaker and a bicentenary booklet.

More guests arrived by 11.30 to hear Peter Chappell, aided by Stephen Cook, give a presentation on the origins and splits of Methodism with particular reference to the Doncaster area and especially to Thorne. Both the centenary and the bicentenary were described as was the difficult decision to choose a permanent home for Methodism in Thorne for the three chapels. The original choice of South Parade Chapel   was discovered to have been built over a tributary of the River Don!

The following day was Thorne's Harvest Festival led by local preacher, Robin Jackson, who had brought along a sheaf of corn and who described the changes in agriculture during his long life.  He mentioned to the congregation of fifty, the growing yield of corn and other crops and of milk. His inspiring words were accompanied by traditional harvest hymns played by our own organist, Rebecca Holmes.

Like the early Christians the congregation enjoyed a harvest meal of a ploughman's lunch which consisted of bread, five different cheeses, pâté and pork pie followed by apple crumble, trifle and other desserts.

Stephen Cook.