Helen Kennett.
Joseph Mason:
Many thanks for permission to reproduce material from the Joe Mason website blog Click Here to visit blog and more information.
Helen Kennett:
Many thanks for permission to reproduce this email received by e-mail 28th January 2012:
Hi , I have just been looking at the website, and the latest additions on the Cawston Historical Society pages - brilliant as usual and very interesting. I think that I can help with more information on the Reading Room and its owner though as it has a strong family connection.
The old Prince of Wales public house and premises became Prince of Wales Works around 1907 when they were bought by William A Bush, who established an Agricultural Engineering business there. The business included associated trades such as blacksmithing, building, carpentry and timber trading etc, and he became a major employer in the village employing 20 -30 men.
The Reading Room, in the picture, which was supplied by Jo Mason was set up by William Bush in the early 1900's in part of his premises, he was a keen believer in education and helping his fellow men and was an established Methodist lay preacher and later both a long serving member of and Chairman of the Parish Council and The Heath Trust as well as serving as a District Councillor on the St. Faiths and Aylsham District Council.
Cawston Toc H made contributions and held social events for the community, in 1954 a very kind offer was made to the Cawston Parish Council to help to build a Bus Shelter in Chapel Street which the Council received with great enthusiasm and gratitude by all members, plans were got out and the bus shelter was built as a permanent Memorial in memory of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11, sadly in about the late 1970s or early 1980s, the shelter was removed due to changers in bus journeys and misuse. Toc H meeting were normally held at Cawston School or the Village Hall, The Cawston Toc H branch ceased with great sadness in 1959.
Members Roll as at January 1955
Joseph Riley - Harold Ogden - Lloyd White - William Wright - Peter Meaney - Stanley White.
Click on files to view....
The wonderful movement of the Cawston branch "Toc H" was formed in 1953 Coronation year of Queen Elizabeth 11, this was a branch of the Toc H organization set up in the first world war in Belgian in a house called Talbot House and was a rest, friendship and kindness house for first world war solders. The
Cawston Toc H made contributions and held social events for the community, in 1954 a very kind offer was made to the Cawston Parish Council to help to build a Bus Shelter in Chapel Street which the Council received with great enthusiasm and gratitude by all members, plans were got out and the bus shelter was built as a permanent Memorial in memory of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11, sadly in about the late 1970s or early 1980s, the shelter was removed due to changers in bus journeys and misuse. Toc H meeting were normally held at Cawston School or the Village Hall, The Cawston Toc H branch ceased with great sadness in 1959.
Members Roll as at January 1955
Joseph Riley - Harold Ogden - Lloyd White - William Wright - Peter Meaney - Stanley White.
Click on files to view....