A bit of Denny History
(Reprinted, with kind permission, from the Bulbeck Beacon)
Some amusing things come to light when you have to look through your old documents, which is what the Clerk of the Parish Council has been doing as part of checking our asset register. On 21st February 1911 an inquiry was opened in the School because the Parish Council had asked the Local Government Board for permission to borrow £550 to cover the cost of buying the "Denny Close and Plantation" for use as a Recreation Ground. The first suggestion for a recreation ground had been in Lime Kiln Close, but the Denny was agreed as the preferred site on 26th July 1909. The price was finally agreed with Colonel Hamond, the owner, at £800 for both land and plantation. To level the site for cricket and football, and to pay legal expenses needed a further £100. Council used £350 of its funds, and needed to borrow the £550, which it proposed be repaid by 1961.
The inquiry opened with the inspector asking for any who opposed the scheme. There were none. The history of the scheme was given as above, but in great detail. The inspector then invited statements from those present. The Vicar, the Revd F.W. Roberts, who had arrived late, then rose to make objections. The inspector said he was too late, but let him speak. The minutes record: "the Vicar then made the following remarkable statements that he objected to the provision of a Playground as his experience of village playgrounds were that no respectable persons would be seen in them. Secondly he considered that the funds at the disposal of the council would be better spent on the Church and churchyard...". The inspector asked if he had attended the parish meetings that had unanimously approved the scheme - the Vicar made the following astounding reply that "as respectable persons could not be heard at the parish meetings he had absented himself". Uproar followed and the inspector said that it was a most unwise remark. The inquiry continued with a great debate on how little had been done under the Old Vestry system, which was replaced by the Parish Council in 1895. The parish council in their 16 years had provided 2 public pumps (£40 each), a bier for £22, Cemetery and other gates and rails at £25, and still had £350 of funds, while the Old Vestry had handed over just £37 after 100 years with no public works to show how their funds had been used! Needless to say the Denny was acquired, and we still have the other items as well. The Vicars of today have a very different outlook from nearly 100 years ago.
We are retaining a second copy of these minutes so that anyone can see them. Many of the surnames are still very familiar: Butler, Fordham, Levitt, Stevens, Booth (schoolmaster), Kemp, Chiney (baker), Bennett and Blagdon (publicans), Rolph (bricklayer) with Watson, the Chairman and Selby, the Clerk of the parish council.