Judy Middleton
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| copyright © A. Richbell The procession ready to leave St Nicolas CE Primary School led by the flag-bearer of the Portslade Royal British Legion. At this precise moment the Revd A Birks is messaging the bell ringers, a quarter of a mile away in St Nicolas Church tower to start tolling the large tenor bell to accompany the marchers on their way to the War Memorial in Easthill Park. |
It was entirely appropriate that the Remembrance Sunday commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armistice should fall on Sunday 11th November 2018 – the precise date on which the guns fell silent in 1918 – the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 a.m. As a reminder, poppies are supposed to be worn with the green leaf pointing to eleven on an imaginary clock.
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| copyright © A. Richbell The 176 (Hove) Squadron Air Training Corps leading the procession from St Nicolas School playground to Easthill Park War Memorial. |
Attendance at Easthill Park to mark Remembrance Sunday has always been good – indeed former vicar Father Andrew Perry was astonished at the number of people there when he took the service for his first time. But for 2018 Portslade excelled itself. Estimates from various sources put the attendance between 700 to 800 people.
All the people taking part in the procession mustered in the playground at St Nicolas School before setting off up Locks Hill, police having closed the road to traffic. The procession was very long and was led by a rather out-of-place police car. The Portslade Royal British Legion flag bearer and escorts was at the head, followed Father Andrew Birks, 176 (Hove) Squadron Air Training Corps, for whom he is chaplain. Then came numerous youth groups with their flags and uniforms, local councillors, and many ordinary folk. The route was marked by large poppies painted by pupils at St Nicolas School. The procession marched or walked along to the sound of a tolling bell from the tower of St Nicolas.
While everyone gathered around the War Memorial, there was the surprise arrival of the ceremonial silver-gilt mace carried by a man wearing the traditional cocked hat who preceded the mayor. Peter Kyle, the local Member of Parliament, was also present.
The Salvation Army provided welcome music and accompaniment to the hymns. The Last Post being played is always a moving moment. During the two minutes silence that followed, the only sounds were the rustle of leaves in the wind, and the snapping of the Union flag from its tall flagpole.
The Bells of St Nicolas
Besides the Church of St Nicolas itself, the venerable bells must be the most ancient artefacts still extant in Portslade today. The earliest bell was cast before 1529, created by London bell-founder Thomas Lawrence.
While the bells are still sound, the same cannot be said for the corroded iron work which attaches the bells to the carved and moulded wooden frame that contains them. Indeed, in the 1980s it was deemed prudent to install four old railway sleepers underneath to prevent them from falling out of the tower. In 2014 it was estimated that to restore the bells would cost around £10,000. Thus there has been no peal of bells since the early 1980s, much to the regret of parishioners – it was lovely to hear the bells ringing out on a Sunday, or after a wedding.
On Armistice Day 2018, the large St Nicolas tenor bell was tolled as the procession of Portslade Royal British Legion, 176 (Hove) Squadron Air Training Corps, Scouting Association and members of the public marched from St Nicolas School in Locks Hill to Easthill Park. After the service was over in Easthill Park, a trio of men from St Nicolas Church congregation rang all three bells in six changes. Many people commented on how delighted they were to hear the bells again (the first time since the early 1980s) and at once a bell restoration campaign was set up to try and raise enough money so that the bells could be rung again in the time-honoured manner.
(For this very special day of 'Armistice 100' the three church bells were ‘clocked’, that is pulling the clapper with a rope rather than the conventional method of bell ringing as a one off for the special commemoration of the ending of the Great War 1914-18. Please see the St Nicolas Church Bell Fundraising Appeal Notice page)
On the evening of 11 November 2018, the intrepid trio of bell ringers did a repeat performance with the three bells, starting at 7.05 p.m. and lasting for 20 minutes, along with countless bells ringing out across the entire kingdom.
November 2018 Remembrance at St Nicolas CE Primary School, Portslade.
St Nicolas School once again set up their annual Remembrance Day Exhibition in the school’s hall, at which War-Time memories, photographs, documents and various exhibits were on show for the benefit of the children and families connected to the school.
We are grateful to Mr Andrew Richbell, the Headteacher of St Nicolas CE Primary School, for making the school facilities available for the Remembrance Day Procession and the loan of his photographs for this article.
Copyright © J.Middleton 2018
page layout by D. Sharp
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| copyright © J.Middleton The local Scouting Association marching up Locks Hill to Easthill Park to the sound of St Nicolas' tolling tenor bell |
All the people taking part in the procession mustered in the playground at St Nicolas School before setting off up Locks Hill, police having closed the road to traffic. The procession was very long and was led by a rather out-of-place police car. The Portslade Royal British Legion flag bearer and escorts was at the head, followed Father Andrew Birks, 176 (Hove) Squadron Air Training Corps, for whom he is chaplain. Then came numerous youth groups with their flags and uniforms, local councillors, and many ordinary folk. The route was marked by large poppies painted by pupils at St Nicolas School. The procession marched or walked along to the sound of a tolling bell from the tower of St Nicolas.
 |
| copyright © A. Richbell The procession in Locks Hill |
While everyone gathered around the War Memorial, there was the surprise arrival of the ceremonial silver-gilt mace carried by a man wearing the traditional cocked hat who preceded the mayor. Peter Kyle, the local Member of Parliament, was also present.
 |
| copyright © A. Richbell A section of the Portslade public who attended the 'Armistice 100' Remembrance Service |
The Salvation Army provided welcome music and accompaniment to the hymns. The Last Post being played is always a moving moment. During the two minutes silence that followed, the only sounds were the rustle of leaves in the wind, and the snapping of the Union flag from its tall flagpole.
 |
| copyright © J.Middleton The end of the Remembrance Day Service as members of the public make their way to St Nicolas Parish Centre in South Street |
The Bells of St Nicolas
Besides the Church of St Nicolas itself, the venerable bells must be the most ancient artefacts still extant in Portslade today. The earliest bell was cast before 1529, created by London bell-founder Thomas Lawrence.
While the bells are still sound, the same cannot be said for the corroded iron work which attaches the bells to the carved and moulded wooden frame that contains them. Indeed, in the 1980s it was deemed prudent to install four old railway sleepers underneath to prevent them from falling out of the tower. In 2014 it was estimated that to restore the bells would cost around £10,000. Thus there has been no peal of bells since the early 1980s, much to the regret of parishioners – it was lovely to hear the bells ringing out on a Sunday, or after a wedding.
 |
copyright © D. Sharp
St Nicolas
Church's 1529 St Thomas a' Becket bell and the bell ringing mechanism
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On Armistice Day 2018, the large St Nicolas tenor bell was tolled as the procession of Portslade Royal British Legion, 176 (Hove) Squadron Air Training Corps, Scouting Association and members of the public marched from St Nicolas School in Locks Hill to Easthill Park. After the service was over in Easthill Park, a trio of men from St Nicolas Church congregation rang all three bells in six changes. Many people commented on how delighted they were to hear the bells again (the first time since the early 1980s) and at once a bell restoration campaign was set up to try and raise enough money so that the bells could be rung again in the time-honoured manner.
(For this very special day of 'Armistice 100' the three church bells were ‘clocked’, that is pulling the clapper with a rope rather than the conventional method of bell ringing as a one off for the special commemoration of the ending of the Great War 1914-18. Please see the St Nicolas Church Bell Fundraising Appeal Notice page)
On the evening of 11 November 2018, the intrepid trio of bell ringers did a repeat performance with the three bells, starting at 7.05 p.m. and lasting for 20 minutes, along with countless bells ringing out across the entire kingdom.
November 2018 Remembrance at St Nicolas CE Primary School, Portslade.
 |
| copyright © A. Richbell St Nicolas School's First & Second World War Remembrance Day exhibition in the school's hall |
St Nicolas School once again set up their annual Remembrance Day Exhibition in the school’s hall, at which War-Time memories, photographs, documents and various exhibits were on show for the benefit of the children and families connected to the school.
 |
copyright © A. Richbell
The culmination of St Nicolas School’s study of the Great War
Armistice, was a walk to Portslade’s War Memorial by all 394 children and every member of the staff, to observe a two minutes
silence on the last school day of the week, at 11 a.m. on the 9
November 2018. |
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| copyright © D. Sharp Easthill Park War Memorial 11 November 2018 |
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| 'LEST WE FORGET' |
We are grateful to Mr Andrew Richbell, the Headteacher of St Nicolas CE Primary School, for making the school facilities available for the Remembrance Day Procession and the loan of his photographs for this article.
Copyright © J.Middleton 2018
page layout by D. Sharp