Suday School Outings

For many years these were the highlight of the year for the scholars, a reward for good attendance. The Congregational Church was very advanced in its thinking in several ways. The annual train excursion to Weston-super-Mare started only a few years after the railway from Yate to Thornbury was opened in 1872. Thornbury Congregational Church co-ordinated the journey, used by the Wesleyan (Methodist) Sunday School, Baptists from Thornbury and Tytherington, and nonconformist Sunday Schools from Iron Acton, Rangeworthy and Yate. (Anglican Sunday Schools arranged their own trips). In 1898 it was agreed at the Teachers' Meeting that it would leave at 7.30am, returning at 8pm, with tea at Huntley's at 3pm, “& that no Scholar be taken unless 12 attendances had been made since Xmas..” In 1900 the railway fares were increased, with a discount of 7% on a guarantee of 300 adult tickets- i.e. for parents and teachers. Clearly quite an undertaking. 

During the first World War trains were not available. In 1915 and 1919 the Congregational Sunday School went by road to New Passage, having tea in one of the Tea Rooms there. Existing Accounts include, in 1915: “Outing to New Passage: R Baylis, Brakes [horse-drawn carriages] £3.0.0.; 106 teas @ 6 ½ d  £4.5.11d”. 

Two (very elderly!) ex-scholars remember going by train to Weston before the war- passenger trains to Thornbury stopped in 1944- when they were given 6p each to spend. From the memory of one of them, they were free to go on the beach and have lunch, with an organised tea.  While the older scholars went to Weston, the infants usually went to Mr Fear's field at Morton. In1897 “it was decided to ask the Alveston Fife and Drum Band to attend & play a selection of music.” Two (younger!) ex-scholar says they were still given 6p in the 1950's, when the Congregational Sunday school went by Riddiford's coaches.…........

These monthly snippets are only extracts from a fuller history of the church from 1674, which hopefully will be produced in the next year or so. Watch this space!