Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms

By the kind invitation of the Dame President, The Hon. Mrs. St. Leger Jervis, the members of the Graffoe Habitation of the Primrose League held their annual festival on the grounds of Norton Disney Hall Thursday last. Summer-like weather made the open air entertainment very enjoyable, and attracted a large gathering. The Graffoe Habitation was only formed 12 months ago, under the able direction of the Dame President, and enthusiastic organisation of the Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Nowell, it already embraces a large membership from the villages of Bassingham, Aubourne, Stapleford, Norton Disney, and Carlton-Le-Moorland. Indeed, the popular representative for the division, Mr. Edmund Royds, M. P., has no more enthusiastic band of supporters than the Primrose League of the Graffoe Habitation. On Thursday, Colonel the Hon. St. Leger Jervis and Mrs. Jervis, welcomed their guests with a friendly cordiality which put everyone at ease, and made for the pleasure of the large gathering.
Norton Disney Hall is situated in well-wooded, pastoral country, and is approached by a long and winding drive between finely furnished banks of rhododendrons, which, like green walls, guard the road-way. It opens out upon a clearing in the woods where, nestling in arboreous shade, stands the Hall, with a charming outlook across the gardens and the lake to the well wooded slopes of the middle distance and the pastoral prospect beyond. The lawns were festooned with Chinese Lanterns, which added a touch of colour by day and glowed by night with their globular lights. Upon the lawn the Malleable Ironworks Band, from Lincoln, played enjoyable music. Stretching in the intervening space to the waters edge, was a fine pergola of scarlet rambler roses, with a closecropped greensward pathway, and a border of old English flowers on either side. Upon the lake the pleasure boats and canoes lazily parted the waters, whilst the merry voices of the tennis player on the adjacent courts fell upon the ear. Amongst those noticed present were Mr. J. L. and the Hon. Mrs. Franklin (Gonalstone), Mr. Colin Campbell (Stapleford), Mrs. John Brocklebank (Thurlby), Mr. R. Franklin, Mr. T Franklin, Mrs. Johnson (Bassingham), Cannon Moore, Rev. Wm. Black, Mr. Nowell, Mr. Clarke (Sleaford), Miss Nash (Brant Broughton), Capt. Milnes, Col. Walker, Councillor C. E. Ford, Mrs. Ford, Councillor J. C. Kew, J.P., Mrs. Kew, Mrs W. W. Ford (Newark), Mr. Collin (Bassingham), Mr. Palmer (Stapleford), Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Collingham), Mrs. H. J. Torr (Swinderby), the Hon. John Jervis, Mrs. Nowell (Hon. Secretary), and many others.
The Committee took an active part in the arrangements for the fete, and comprises of the following: The Hon. Mrs. St. Ledger Jervis (Dame President), Mrs. Colin Campbell (Stapleford), Mrs. Marfleet (Bassingham), Mrs. Osborne Johnson (Bassingham), Colonel Walker (Thurlby), Sir Benjamin Bromhead (Thurlby), Mrs. Joseph Brocklebank (Carlton), Capt. Milnes (Aubourne), Rev. Wm. Black (Norton), Mrs. Nowell (Hon. Secretary), and Mr Westbrook (assistant secretary). Bassingham is the headquarters of the Habitation, and during the last winter several concerts, dances, and meetings were held with great success. A special invitation was sent to the Lowdham Habitation to send representatives to the Fete, and the esteemed founder and Ruling Councillor; the Hon. Mrs. J. L. Franklin attended, accompanied by the following members of her committee: Mrs. Whiston, hon. Sec. (Gonalstone), Mr. H. Scott, Mrs. Thornton (warden), Mrs. Tyler, Mrs. Hutchinson, and others. The Lowdham Habitation is the oldest in Notts, was established 23 years ago, and comprises 500 members. Tea was provided by Mr. Marshall, Bassingham, in a large marquee, and was numerously attended. In fact, the accommodation was greatly taxed, especially in the early afternoon.
SPORTS.
In the field many of the visitors crowded round to witness the sports. Several novel and interesting features were introduced in the programme

----- (the rest of this paragraph is either unreadable or missing, but continues with the following text from an unknown speaker) -----

would say that not 25 percent of the members of Trades Unions could ever say that they had benefited one sixpence through the strike. He believed that the dislocation and upset caused by strikes re-acted adversely upon the working classes themselves most hardly. He and his brother paid eleven thousand a year in wages, and his own observations led him to believe that when there was any unpleasantness or strike the good men and best workers generally said "We are satisfied ourselves, sir, but its Tom, and you know between ourselves, that he does not get through much when he does work." (Laughter.) He (the speaker) did not object to men's unions, or the movement towards making their labour more valuable, but he did object to men who only desired to work three or four days a week preventing others working full time. When employers had a good man they tried to keep him, and to pay him such a wage as satisfied him. Strikes were no good. Old England was a free country, and men who were allowed to be free were expected to conduct themselves as men. He was not in favour of "peaceful picketing", when it was designed to prevent men from working who wanted to work. A strange thing too, about the Lincoln riots was that those firms who subscribed to the men's funds had no windows smashed, while those who did not subscribe suffered for it. That was not freedom. After a scathing exposure of the bargain between the Government and their Irish taskmasters over the Veto and the Budget, the speaker showed how the passing of the Parliament Bill had changed the ancient British Constitution. The first thing Radicals had done under the new conditions was to vote themselves £400 a year at a cost of £250,000 to the ratepayers. As Primrose Leaguers their motto was: Loyalty to the Throne, Loyalty to the Constitution, and Loyalty to religion. Having pulled down the government of the House of Lords, what was to stop the Commons from attacking the Crown itself? He warned his hearers against Socialism and unrest. Those of them who were beekeepers knew that when there was a row in the hive there was no honey being formed, and after the row, if they looked into the hive, they would find a lot of dead bees. If they in England gave way to Socialism, that was what would happen in the country. In conclusion, he proposed a resolution expressing their sincere confidence in Mr. Royds, and hoping to see him amongst them as soon as his health permitted. (Applause.) The Chairman seconded, and it was carried enthusiastically. Captain Milnes (Aubourn) proposed the vote of thanks to the speaker and this was seconded by Mr. Clark (Conservative agent to the Sleaford Division), and suitably responded to by Mr. Dean.
The prizes for the sports events were presented by the Hon. Master J. Jervis, the heir to the estate. A comprehensive vote of thanks to him, Mrs. Nowell, the Hon. Secretary, and the committee was moved by Capt. Milnes, and seconded by Mr. J.H. Foster.
In the evening an impromptu concert was arranged by Mr. Henry Kelly, when Mr. J. Martin rendered songs in good style, but the event of the evening was the songs given by the well known Norton comedian Mr. Joe Wass ("his manner and his style made everybody smile") and applaud with vigour. In the dusk, dancing upon the lawn was heartily indulged in until ten o'clock, when cheers for the King and for the Hon. and Mrs. St. Leger Jervis were given.

Index Page

Acknowledgement:- I am indebted to Mr. Charles Rudkin for permission to use the first extract above, this taken from his Norton Disney Web Site, --- Visit --- for details of this Lincolnshire village, past and present. I am also grateful to Mr. Rudkin for supplying the second extract, this from his private holdings.