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On April 26 1956 the new rector of Timsbury Rev. Hugh Vipond Davies was instituted and inducted to the living before a crowded congregation in St.Mary’s Church. He replaced Rev. J.C. Rose who had retired after 21 years as rector. Before the year was out, however, there was controversy afoot. In the previous 30 years several articles had been given to St. Mary’s Church without a faculty being obtained for them. In order to regularise the position Rev Davies said that an application had been made for a faculty to remove some items and keep others. A citation was placed on the church door for 8 days detailing the items to allow parishioners to raise any objections. As a result a cross-petition was filed by a number of parishioners led by Albert Lewis.
Albert Lewis was one of the most prominent members of the Timsbury community during the 20th. century but in September 1956 his death was reported. He had been Head of Timsbury Primary School for 20 years and there was hardly an organisation in the village with which he had not been associated. At the church he had been organist and choirmaster, conductor of Timsbury Male Voice Choir, Chairman of W.E.A. Dramatic Group, Chairman of Timsbury Football and Cricket Clubs, Chairman of the local Conservatives and during the war Head Warden and Billeting Officer.
Later in the year there was sad news at the school, however, with the sudden death of Mrs. Evelyn Greenland who had been Senior Mistress at the school since its opening in 1934. A memorial service was held at the school and an appeal was launched in her memory to provide a lectern desk for the Assembly Hall. Mrs. Greenland had been secretary of the Radstock Association of the NUT and President of the County Association.
A concert was given at Manvers Street Guild, Bath by the Timsbury South Road Methodist Girls Choir under conductor Raymond Taviner. There were solos from Jennifer Purnell, Rene Padfield and Sheila Taviner and duets from Wendy Padfield and Ann Taviner. Ann, a very talented musician, also played the very beautiful Sonata Pathetique by Beethoven on the piano while her brother Tony entertained on the piano accordion.
One of the great characters in British politics over the last few decades paid a visit to Timsbury in September 1956. Tony Benn was a guest speaker at the meeting of the Timsbury branch of the W.E.A. at the village Secondary Modern School. He gave two lectures on the subject of “ The path to democratic freedom” and they both provoked a good deal of discussion. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Arthur Moon and a vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. Ian Durham and seconded by Mr. P. Round.
Timsbury District Nurse and Midwife Miss Pethick received a long service medal from the Duchess of Kent at St. James Palace in November. The medal is awarded by the Queen’s Institute of District Nursing at the completion of 21 years of continuous service. Miss Pethick had been District Nurse at Timsbury since 1938.
Finally in a quiet year for village sport Clarence Parfitt was re-elected Chairman of Timsbury Football Club. The secretary was Alec Beard with his assistant Viv Collins who also acted as team manager. The club continued competing in the Bristol Suburban League and at that time also entered the F.A. Amateur Cup.