ST GILES FELLOWSHIP – DO YOU REMEMBER?

Way back in the 1940s, unsurprisingly, things were very different. Most families had no disposable income and so the entertainment infrastructure that we have today had not materialised. Consequently, most activities for teenagers took place based upon the local churches and their halls. Each church had a thriving band of youngsters – a Youth Fellowship – undertaking a plethora of activities, including sports; there were six such groups in West Bridgford.
But of course teenagers get older – and so it was on the 12th September 1948 that the St Giles based ‘youth of the day’ had a meeting and decided to form a senior church fellowship for the 18-30+ age group. For the first 21 years Molly Whittaker was the chairperson. The membership grew and grew, with regular tennis, table tennis, badminton, hikes, visits, theatre trips (including to London), meetings, dinner dances and socials.
A notable landmark in the calendar was the annual January pantomime which first began in 1954 (Humpty Dumpty). They were written mostly by Jean Sibert and, for the first 21 years, starred Ray Taylor as the ‘Dame’. By default, the church halls became dating agencies and marriage bureaux – with very many couples eventually tying the knot. It is believed that one year saw eight such St Giles’ couples married. However, the world moved on, circumstances changed significantly, and in 1983 the Fellowship ceased to exist.
To mark its passing, 172 former members and guests held a reunion in 1985 (in the Parochial Hall), with another in April 1999 (in the new Stratford Road Church Hall) attracting 108 attendees. Perhaps it’s time to renew old acquaintances again – so the archive scrapbooks and newsletters have been scrutinised, heads scratched and memories jogged, to arrive at a more complete list of former members.
So far 447 have been identified, but the whereabouts and contact details have only been established for 153, including some who have sadly left this world. That leaves 294 ‘missing persons’, but where are they?
One ‘lost’ couple was known to have emigrated to Canada in the early 1970s. Attempting the impossible, Google was tried for the Canadian telephone directory, which in turn revealed their address and phone number (partly due to their having a slightly unusual surname). Do you know any former members who are not in touch with others?  Do you have memorabilia about the organisation from yesteryear?
To get in touch, or if you think you can be of any help, please call Sue and Stephen Ford on 01283 222 073 or email sfsfsf@tesco.net