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90 Old Memories of East-Bourne. [Chap. VII.
that many of the audience appreciated very nmch the opportunity of seeing how ladies and gentlemen in the upper circles of society dress and demean themselves. It seems a funny reason for wishing to patronise such a show.
On November 29, 1882, we had a Meeting at our house convened to consider the possibility of establishing for East-Bourne a branch of the Charity Organisation. Society. We were fortunate in getting the help, as imported speakers, of two M.P.'s so experienced in Social Work as Mr. T. Salt, an Ex-Parliamentary Secretary of the Local Government Board and Mr. J. G. Talbot, an Ex-Secretary of the Board of Trade; and a most capable man offered his services as Local Secretary, Col. G. W. Macauley, E.E. In spite of an enthusiastic Meeting and much promise of support in the town later on, the scheme could not be carried through because of the opposition of the " Do-Nothings " on the Magisterial Bench. Everybody who knows anything of the work of a well-organised Charity Organisation Society knows its value in checking crime and vagrancy.
As this volume is not intended to be a detailed chronicle of East-Bourne events, I only deal with those with which I had some personal connection. I shall therefore finish this Chapter by mentioning only two or three more movements with which I had something to do.
An " East-Bourne Choral Society " under the able management of Mr. H. W. Hardy, the organist of the Parish Church, lasted many years, but it was more or less open to the public, and its concerts held in public rooms. The idea came into my head in 1887, to see whether it would be possible to form amongst the private residents a Glee Society, based on the principle of having all the concerts on a comparatively small scale, and only in private drawing-rooms. Various ladies of our acquaintance were consulted and the following agreed to take part in the movement, so far as to lend their drawing-rooms, turn and turn about, for rehearsals and concerts in succession:—Hon. C. Ellis, Mrs. Baddeley,Mrs.. |
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