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In 1934 the new Senior Council School at Lansdown View was opened by Mr. H.H. Shepherd, the chairman of Somerset Education Committee. The building which since the early 1970s has been the home of St. Mary’s Primary School included 7 spacious classrooms, an assembly hall, staff rooms, a science room, manual instruction room and a domestic science room to which was attached a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom. The school was built to hold 360 pupils and was to serve children from Timsbury, Marksbury, Camerton, Farmborough, High Littleton and Priston. Mr. P. Thompson was appointed Headmaster with Mrs. Greenland of Timsbury the Principal Woman Assistant.
The rector of the village Rev. Meade-King said goodbye after serving the parish for some 24 years. He had taken up his position in November 1910 and was clearly a very popular member of the community. He was President of both the football and cricket teams and always took a great interest in all the sporting activities of the village. Rev. Meade-King left to take over the chaplaincy of St. Albans and was replaced in Timsbury by Rev. Rose.
It was decided to form a group of Good Companions in the village in 1934. Those joining were asked to ascribe to the following 7 points:
1. To carry out burdens without grousing.
2. To keep a watchful eye for any needy companion.
3. To give of one’s best without thought of reward.
4. To smile in the face of what appears to be misfortune.
5. To give “the soft answer that turneth away wrath”.
6. To remember that the other fellow’s business is none of ours.
7. To thank God each day that we are alive and tramping along the road of life.
Anyone wishing to join the group was asked to contact Miss Nancy Smith, later to become Mrs. Nancy Abbott.
Timsbury Athletic enjoyed a very successful year winning both the Paulton and District Knock-out Cup and Division 3 of the Bristol Suburban League. The team met High Littleton in the cup final and after drawing the first encounter 3-3- won the replay 4-1 with goals from Latchem(2), Brooks and Collins. In the initial meeting the referee Mr. Howell was knocked out after being hit by the ball and after being attended by the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade was eventually replaced by Mr. Bissex of Midsomer Norton. The league title was secured by a 2-1 home win over Chipping Sodbury with a certain Alec Tucker (my father) scoring the winner 7 minutes from time with “a magnificent shot” – the newspaper’s words not mine!
Timsbury Male Voice Choir under its conductor Mr. Oliver Janes won the J. Fischer and Brothers challenge shield for men’s choirs at the Bristol Eisteddfod. The choir celebrated its success by giving an impromptu sing-song outside the Victoria Rooms where the eisteddfod was held, a performance which apparently created considerable interest among passers-by. The 5 choirs which competed in the competition were Timsbury (167 points), Plymouth Philharmonic (165), Frome (164), Romill Choir from Barry (161) and Shaftesbury (158).
One of the most popular professional artists of the day was Randolph Sutton and in 1934 he was appearing as Dandini in “Cinderella” at the Bath Palace Theatre. “What a whirlwind of exuberance on the stage does this great artist conjure up”, said the newspaper of the day. Later in the year Fred Roper’s Wonder Midgets performed at the same theatre with “their brilliant acrobatic feats and continuity of humour”. Alongside them were the comedy duo Dinks and Trixie, comedian Eddie Windsor and Cingalee, the silent man of mystery with the assistance of his company of mystics.
Locally Timsbury W.E.A. Players put on the comedy “Yellow Sands” by Eden and Adelaide Philpotts. Leading the cast was Stanley Dyer while according to the reviews a certain Arthur Moon (later to be Parish Council Chairman) gave a very impressive characterisation of Joe Varwell. The play was an outstanding success and the Church Room was packed.
Still mindful of the atrocities of World War 1 peace groups were prevalent in the 1930s and in 1934 a public meeting was held in Timsbury organised by the anti-war movement. The movement was international in its inception and the speakers said that if the arnaments’ race went on war on a world-wide base would be the outcome. How prophetic those words sadly proved to be.