The 22 December 2021 would have been Jack Greenaway’s 100th Birthday and we will be remembering this event at the Carol Service on 18th December.  It will be 10 years since Jack’s last appearance as “Master of the Handbells” and Denice Cullen, who has maintained the Handbell Tradition will be making sure that Jack’s legacy is celebrated in style at the Carol Service. 

We also have available copies of Jack’s book “A Short History of Baldon and Baldon House”.   A wonderful account of life here in Jack’s own words.  On the cover is a picture of Jack, from the portrait painted by Caddie Attewill and presented to Jack on his 80th Birthday.  If you haven’t read his book and are interested in Baldons history, do ask for a copy.  

They cost £5 and all profits go to Helen House Children’s Hospice.

Here are two snippets taken from the book:

“In the mid-‘70s disaster struck.  A particularly violent form of Dutch Elm disease hit this country. ……. It was quite incredible the way it would affect a mature tree. Suddenly you’d see all the leaves go brown and the tree would die within six weeks; it was amazing.  From 1974 to about 1977 we lost 153 full-sized elm trees on Baldon House grounds alone.”

……………

“In 1976 we had the great drought.  We had a dry autumn followed by a dry winter and then from March until September we had measurable rain on only six days.  All the fields were brown.  We didn’t do any lawn mowing at all that summer because there was no lawn to mow.  They were all brown. It was the most incredible sight, it really was. ……………When September arrived that year it started to rain, and it rained right through until the end of October.”

Both for the historical facts and Jack’s own reflections on life, this little book is a lovely read.