SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I may have mentioned in other threads Mam is now 90 yearsold and as bright as the proverbial button.If I visit her on my own the conversation usually involves times past.Today it was the Band of Hope and the various mission halls.You had to be 7 to attend and sign 'the pledge' not to indulge in strong drink.She signed the pledge 3 times in different places,Belgrave Chapel,the Riverside Mission and Lees Hall which was upstairs on the Eastgate-Vicar Lane corner.Every Good Friday all the missions came together on the Town Hall steps(before they were altered ?) to sing hymns.Grandad used to buy her a new pair of sandals for the occasion.She then had to make a decision as to which mission put on the best bun fight afterwards.The newly elected Lord Mayor used to go to Lees Hall and all attendees were given a bag of buns.There was also the 'Never Seen The Sea'fund and open top charabang trips to 'the sea'She is truly a mine of information should any of you have a particular question or event in mind - but I warn you she knows nothing about tunnels and transport.

dogduke wrote: I may have mentioned in other threads Today it was the Band of Hope and the various mission halls.You had to be 7 to attend and sign 'the pledge' not to indulge in strong drink.She signed the pledge 3 times in different places,Belgrave Chapel,the Riverside Mission and Lees Hall which was upstairs on the Eastgate-Vicar Lane corner.Every Good Friday all the missions came together on the Town Hall steps(before they were altered ?) to sing hymns.Grandad used to buy her a new pair of sandals for the occasion.She then had to make a decision as to which mission put on the best bun fight afterwards. I was brought up a very strict Methodist. I used to go to Sunday School twice every Sunday - and my dad made sure I went. My family were mainstays of the local chapel, Ebenezer on Fountain Street in Morley (flats now.) But despite his insistance that I attended, my dad was not a regular attender at chapel, he was however a regular attender at the Fountain Inn, a minute's walk from Ebenezer. So when (at about 7 or 8 years old) I brought home a pledge, and was keen to sign it he advised against. If you want Christmas pudding at Christmas don't sign that he said - there's rum in Christmas pudding and you won't be able to have any. I didn't sign. As for singing, the Morley Sunday Schools Union (free churches) would have a big sing on Morley Town Hall steps on Whit Sunday with the Sally Army band. I wonder if your mam was mixing up Good Friday with Whit Sunday?

Good job you didn't confuse singing with signing then, Trojan.

My Grandad took the pledge every Sunday and always broke it by monday.

It's a good job my parents never took it, they'd have broken it the second the pubs opened on Sunday afternoon.I can't say that i recall Seacroft Methodist doing this cira 1980, perhaps it had fallen out of favour by then?