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1923 was the year when the marriage took place at Westminster Abbey of the King’s second son, the Duke of York (later to become George VI) and Elizabeth Boyes Lyon, daughter of Lord Strathmore. It was also the year when the Prince of Wales (later to become Edward VIII) visited this area meeting miners in Midsomer Norton and calling in at Dunkerton, Peasedown, Clandown and Radstock.
In Timsbury a meeting was held of the Independent Labour Party when some 200 people were addressed by a socialist who had been born in Trinidad and educated at New York College. The speaker told a captivated audience of his parents who had been slaves in South America and who had been subject to brutal treatment including lashings by slave masters with whips. The chairman was Captain W.B. Scobell who held regular socialist reading sessions at his home at Kingwell.
An annual fete was held in Timsbury in aid of the local branch of the United Patriots’ National Benefit Society. Members assembled at the Temperance Hall (now St. John’s) and headed by the Peasedown band paraded the village and went on to the Glebe Field where the band played a selection of music. In 1923 there was also a Ratepayers’ Association in the village affiliated to the London Municipal Society and the National Union of Ratepayers’ association. Captain Sheriff was President of the Timsbury branch with Mr F. Young Chairman.
The first annual supper of the Timsbury Male Voice Choir took place in the Temperance Hall. The conductor Mr Oliver Janes received a clock having conducted the choir since its formation in 1919. A feature of the evening was a singing competition for ladies and gentlemen. Mr Arthur Lewis won the gentlemen’s event with Mrs O. Lewis the successful lady.
Reading accounts of the various church events of the day the most noticeable feature is the large congregations which attended. Sunday schools too were flourishing and it was reported that at Tabor some 80 scholars received prizes from secretary Mr Isaac Dando. At the Congregational Sunday School anniversary there were solos by Miss May Whittle and Miss Rose James while the church choir sang under Mr A. Fricker. There was also a church choir at South Road Methodist under the leadership of Mr Oliver Janes.
On the sports’ front the 5th. annual athletics sports meeting was held on the Glebe Field and maintained its reputation of being one of the finest sports’ meetings held anywhere in the district. It was patronised by well known cyclists of the day such as H. Lee of Kentish Wheelers and Albert Theaker of Lincoln. The entries for the flat races were not as good as usual but those for the cycling events were up on the normal. Meanwhile Timsbury Football Club began the year by losing to Bath City Reserves at Lambridge in the Somerset Senior League and went out of the Somerset Senior Cup at the hands of Clandown after a replay. Timsbury’s side was Barnes, Comer, Leakey, Kite, Parfitt, Thatcher, Pain, Elliott, Branch, Jeffery and Llewellyn.
The ace gardener of the day was clearly Mr J.E. Bowditch. At the Bath Flower Show he was awarded second prize in the open class and the NSPS silver medal for 12 bunches of sweet peas. Later in the year he won first prize in the open class at the Risca and Cross Keys sweet pea show.
Finally in 1923 C.H. Fields were advertising charabanc trips to Bath Races for 2/6d and Ford Sedan cars were available from Midsomer Norton Company for £195. They were fully equipped with an electric starter and lighting and according to the promotions with its many refinements and complete equipment represented the world’s greatest car value. From C.T. Frost, the Midsomer Norton tailor, ladies costumes were available from £3-15s while gentlemen’s suits were the same price.