Beeston Baptists - Whit Monday Walk


The annual event, when the Sunday Schools processed around the streets on Whit Monday was a long established Bank Holiday custom in the U.K., in the years before 1965 when it was suspended as a Bank Holiday and eventually replaced in 1978 by the Spring Bank Holiday. It was a regular feature of life in Beeston as it was in many communities around the country. It, of course, followed Whit Sunday (Pentecost), seen as the beginning of the Christian calender when The Holy Spirit is said to have descended on the disciples.

When it took place in May 1934, it was particularly well reported in the Beeston Gazette & Echo and it appears to fit well with the age and contents of the photographs shown here. They are from the collection of photographs of the family of Hiram Firth and feature the local Baptist church's contribution to the success of the day's activities. Hiram and his family were prominent members of the Baptist Church in Beeston. Click HERE to read more about him and his family.

The day's activities were organised by the Beeston Sunday School Union with Thomas Bellamy and Bert Hallam serving as marshalls. Those Sunday Schools taking place were from the Baptist Union Church, Ryland Mission, Gospel Mission, Wollaton Road Methodists, Chilwell Road Methodists and Queens Road Methodists. The following photographs follow the Baptist Sunday School during the day.

As we can see from the following two photographs, they had constructed a float on what appears to be a borrowed cart which was gaily decorated and was filled with the smaller members of the Sunday School, mostly in fancy dress. In the first image, a small boy hurries to take his place at the last minute and the second confirms he made it safely on board, on the far right-hand side!

Baptist Whit Walk1

Baptist Whit Walk2

The parade assembled on the Dovecote Lane Recreation Ground where hymns were sung before the parade moved off, some walking, some carrying banners, as well as the decorated floats, all accompanied by the Beeston Town Silver Band. The parade, watched by many lining the route, passed along Queens Road, Regent Street, High Road, Broughton Street, Park Street, Cromwell Road, Imperial Road and Chilwell Road, where the parade broke-up so that the participants could disperse to their respective schoolrooms for tea. Afterwards, they reassembled at Broadgate Recreation Ground to round off the day with music and sports activities.

The photograph below shows a group of older Baptist Church participants in the parade.

Baptist Whit Walk3

The following photograph shows a number of banners which were a feature of the parade. In the 1934 event, strong winds caused damage to one of the banners.

Baptist Whit Walk4

Photographs kindly provided by descendants of Hiram and Alice Firth.

Suggestions for the names of any of those shown or other related information would be gratefully received.

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