Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 05 December 1942
Red Cross Bazaar
Nearly £300 Raised at Mexborough
Mrs. S. E. Chapman and the party of children who worked so well for the Mexborough Red Cross Bazaar.
“The sky is the limit” was the reply of the organisers of the grand Red Cross bazaar held at Mexborough yesterday (Thursday), when asked by a reporter what they had set as the target for the effort. If the huge crowds which thronged the bazaar nearly an hour before it started and until almost the last article had vanished, were anything to judge by, the effort should be an undoubted success financially.
The bazaar was opened by Mrs. A. J. K. Skipworth, of Loversal Hall, who was supported by Coun. S. Silverwood, J.P., Chairman of Mexborough Council in the chair, the Vicar, the Rev. E. H. P. Rawlins, Mr. R. Dayson, Mrs. S. E. Chapman and Mr. W. P. Turner.
Mr. Dayson introduced Mrs. Skipworth, “who takes a great interest in Red Cross work and who it was a pleasure to see in our midst.”
Mrs. Skipworth, who afterwards was presented with a bouquet by June Huckley, said the Red Cross, one of the finest working ideals they could wish to see to-day, was very near to her heart. Ideals seldom materialised, but the Red Cross was a definite working ideal. There was no excuse whatever for the fact that the rules laid down by the Red Cross had been abused by the Germans in both wars, and by the Italians in the Abyssinian War and In the present conflict. In spite of Red Cross hospitals and depots being bombed and machine gunned, it carried on, training personnel, running ambulances staffing hospitals and dressing stations, and collecting blood donors. Only five per cent of the money raised by the organisation went on administration, for most of the work was voluntary. Mrs. Sklpworth thanked the workers who had contributed to the wonderful show of articles.
The Vicar, who mentioned that during the last war he served in the R.A.M.C., working in connection with the Red Cross for nearly five years, proposed a vote of thanks to the opener. This was seconded by Mr. W. P. Turner. A vote of thanks to Mrs. Chapman and her young helpers was proposed by Coun. Silverwood, and Mr. J. J. Woffinden was thanked for the loan of the Empress Ballroom by Mr. Dayson.
Children’s Efforts.
One of the most imposing stalls at the bazaar was that containing all the articles made by Mrs. Chapman and her 25 young workers. These little girls, all still at school, have been working for over sixteen weeks for the effort, and aimed at providing 500 article. They surpassed this target and contributed 906, mostly toys. Mrs. Chapman’s son, Cecil, made wooden planes, tanks and battleships, and these were also sold.
There were numerous stalls, including arts and crafts, fancy goods, knitted goods, antiques, toys, and household goods, and all seemed in great demand.
On show were the ordinary parcels which are sent by the Red Cross to our prisoners of war and also the Christmas parcels. One of the striking features of the bazaar was a fine exhibition of scale mode! aircraft made by Mexborough Secondary School A.T.C., in charge of Mr. W. A. W. Launder.
The pupils of Miss Constance Nichols, L.R.A.M., A.L.A.M. gave a concert and two plays “On a Mantelpiece,” and scenes from Shakespeare’s “A Mid- summer Night’s Dream.”
A bunch of flowers was won by Nurse Crawley; a cake by Miss E Cotton (Old Denaby) and a toy terrier by the holder of ticket number 97.
Although the total has not been fully assessed, it is expected that I almost £300 will have been raised.