Hopping (1897):Sunday excursionists cause trouble

Post date: Feb 14, 2012 3:13:34 PM

Extract from Parish magazine of September 1897. Wateringbury's population at this time was just over 1,300 absorbing an estimated additional 5,000 people.

Once more the 'hopping' is upon us, and for three weeks or thereabout our population will be increased by more than 5,000 people all told. What is to be done for them in the way of missionary work? Messrs. Leach & Marchaut, their old friends, will move about amongst them day by day and will hold services for them on the Sundays; and the Vicar, aided by these gentlemen and Mr. Colby, hopes to visit each of the principal encampments with a magic lantern at least twice. Mr. Tom Colby, who manipulated the lantern last year, giving his time, ungrudging, night after night, will not be able to do so this year. Perhaps there are people in the parish who will volunteer assistance occasionally?

The Vicar proposes to set up a parochial lantern; of course the offertory of August 22nd will not meet the expense, but no doubt funds will be forthcoming. The lantern will be useful for winter entertainments as well as missionary purposes in the hop-fields. Another want this year is a horse and vehicle for the evening work. Perhaps some kind parishioner will offer to help us out of this difficulty by lending a horse and cart, a dog-cart, or light wagon, or wagonette, almost anything would serve the purpose.

The plan of operations is as follows: We start out with the lantern and sheet on the vehicle at about 7.45 p.m., and on arriving at the encampment the horse is taken out, the cart put into position, the sheet is hung up on the side of a building or on poles previously erected for the purpose, the lantern adjusted in position on the cart. By this time the people are crowding round, and we commence showing the lantern about 8.15. The first slide is usually a hymn, which the people enjoy singing. Then follows some appropriate illustrated story which is relieved now and again by a hymn. A brief address, a few words of prayer, and the last hymn and the proceedings close at about 9 o'clock or shortly after. Then the sheet has to be taken down, the lantern packed up, the horse put to, 'Good night' and home. The people like it; it entertains them, and we hope it really helps them to keep straight. Last year Mr. Tom Colby's regular assistance made matters easy ; this year we shall have to buckle to and try to manage it all ourselves.

In a follow up note the next month, the Vicar writes:

It may be recorded that the picking this year was one of very short duration , the bine being short and the hops, barely an average crop, good and easily picked. On the whole the pickers were a fairly quiet set. Of course there was some rowdyism, and a certain amount of drunkenness; but, after all said, only a small proportion of the pickers are a cause of real trouble. The visitors on Excursion Sunday are far worse than the pickers themselves. Something might be done to lessen the evils attending the departure of the pickers; this is being carefully considered, and that is all that can be said at present. The new lantern did some service, with the occasional help of Mr. Tom Colby and a C.E.T.S. missionary. At East Farleigh a coffee stall does a lot of business and is made to pay well; and a room provided in which pickers could write letters in the evening had an average nightly attendance of from 60 to 70 pickers who behaved well. Verbum sap.