Published 1 February 2001

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Embarrassed
UNDER the heading of “A Versatile Undertaker” recollections by the one-time Folkestone Herald columnist Felix about a Vicar who failed to turn up for a child’s funeral, caused a few raised eyebrows in the Folkestone and Hythe district, a century ago.
Bassetts, Burrs Hill, Marden, Tonbridge KENT. TN12 9BS Phone 01622 831122

10th January 2001 Dear comrade. Seventh Annual Reunion 75th (Cinque Ports) H.A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery (Territorial Army.)

/ hope and trust that you are well enough to attend the above Reunion which will be held at the Assembly Hall, Dover Working Men's Club, London Road. Dover, from 12 noon until 4pm, on
SATURDAY the 28th April. / expect that John Crocker will be sending you an invitation but as an ex-member of the Folkestone and Hythe battery I feel bound to ensure you have an early warning of this date.

If you know of any old comrades whom / have missed please let me know.

/ believe we are fewer in number than our friends in Dover battery because our comrades were more advanced in years.

Yours sincerely,

signed Chris White
tunate and embarrassing misunderstanding.

Felix, after stressing that it didn’t happen during the current Vicar’s service (!) in the Cheriton parish, also recalled a somewhat different incident at Sandgate.

A coastguard’s wife had died and, when the funeral party, including coastguardsmen arrived at St Martin’s Churchyard, they found that no one had dug a grave - neither could the sexton be found!

However, the gallant “Jack Tars” set to, after finding some tools, and dug a grave. And, as the interment took place, one of the coastguard tolled the church bell as well.

Money-saver

Sadly, wrote Felix, he understood something similar had happened not far from Folkestone on another occasion when distressed relatives were forced to wait while a forgetful sexton dug the grave.

Felix said he did not want to stir up trouble or strife, but such things should not be allowed to happen again.

These revelations by Felix began with a mention, some time before, of an undertaker, in “regulation black frock coat” who cycled across Kent with the body of a child in a little coffin, which he strapped to his bicycle!

He rode from Folkestone to Sittingbourne for the funeral, which is some trek.

On another occasion Mr Vant walked with dignity through the streets to a churchyard, carrying a small coffin under his arm. The
Felix wrote about it in his light-hearted column “About the Neighbourhood.”

The funeral was of a child interred at Cheriton churchyard and the undertaker had to step in and take the service, a clergyman having failed to turn up through a very unfor-
WAR veteran Chris White has asked me to print this reminder of a reunion of old comrades of the 7th (Cinque Ports) Heavy Ack-Ack Regiment of the Royal Artillery (T.A.)
Does any Memories reader recall former RAF Flt-Sgt Timothy Hay who was a bomb aimer in the Lancaster bomber ED722 of the RAF’s wartime 61st Squadron?

The inquiry comes from Australia, via Alain Charpentier, in France, who has been in touch with the sister of Tim Hay's fellow crewman, Flight Sergeant Ernest Harold Gunders. Sadly he was killed when the Lancaster was shot down near Chartres, on August 15, 1943. Ernest was described as a mid-upper gunner in the aircraft.

Ernest Gunders’ sister would like to find a survivor of the crash in the hope they can tell her more about the incident. If any reader can help, Julie A. Edwards, of Chestnut Road, Elms Vale, Dover, on 01304 207057, will put them in touch with Alain Charpentier in France.
From Mr R McKenny, of St Leonard’s on Sea, in East Sussex, I received a press cutting of this interesting picture taken in Hythe during celebrations held just before the outbreak of the Second World War. The busy scene shows the narrow High Street festooned with flags and bunting, criss-crossing the road. “I found it in family archives and wondered if it would be of interest to readers,” he says. - Thank you, Mr McKenny.
parents were very poor and Mr Vant dispensed with a funeral carriage, to save costs, and carried out his duties in this unorthodox manner, with full approval of the minister.

Mr Vant also ‘officiated’ at St Martin’s churchyard at another child’s funeral. Unfortunately, through some mistake once again, no clergyman appeared.
It was bitterly cold and the bereaved mother was in delicate health so the undertaker offered to conduct the ceremony.

The shivering family gratefully accepted, Mr Vant reading through the Church of England burial service, with due solemnity.

And, said Felix, on another occasion a nonconformist minister failed to appear ...!
 

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