Didn’t sleep very well & felt ill in am. Went to Drayton for tea. Sunday Forum at night – only 16 there but quite good. Norman Betts in am – better than Mr R. 1L.
Notes
Lack of Sleep and Feeling Ill
Despite having taken a sleeping table the previous day, mum did not sleep well and felt ill in the morning (am). During the late seventies, mum often complained of poor sleep and tried a variety of sleeping tablets, see Chapter 116.
Drayton for Tea
We went to grandma’s in Drayton for tea which was our usual practice on Sunday afternoons, see Chapter 122.
Sunday Forum
Mum referred to the Sunday evening service at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church as “Sunday Forum“, see Chapter 124. Initially, I did not really know what this was. It seemed to be something which started at this point and which continued into 1977.
I am grateful to Barry Ferguson for explaining a little about these activities which he attended. He says, “I think they began as an idea that might boost the dwindling evening service attendances. They took place, not in the body of the church, but in the Epworth Room, situated between the church and the church hall. It could seat about 60 at a pinch, there was a piano, and each forum was led by whichever Minister had not taken the day’s morning service.”
Barry also explained that, “fundamentally, the idea was to get dialogue going between the attendees and the minister on Methodist topics he would choose. They were a failure because most attendees, like my mother and I, wanted to say nothing. My father could be relied on to chip in with comments, but he was one of the few. “
Apparently, they also sang a couple of hymns in these meetings. He recalled that, on one occasion, the senior Minister Rev Ream had failed to ensure that there was someone there who could play the piano. So, he started a hymn without the piano but, apparently, he chose the wrong tune so the words did not fit. Barry’s father said loudly “it’s the wrong tune” and the hymn collapsed. Barry had to dash out as “it was so funny and I was in stitches“. It was very embarrassing for Mr Ream who had presumably sung that hymn many times before.
I think the Sunday Forum might have been held monthly. Mum was concerned that, on this occasion, there were only 16 people there.
Norman Betts
Mum noted that Norman Betts took the morning service at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church. She felt he was better than Mr Ream, the senior Minister at the time. I am not sure why she felt she needed to make this comparison but it was fairly faint praise as she seemed to have major issues with Rev Ream, see Chapter 124.
Also, I am not entirely sure who Norman Betts was and, as far as I can see, this is the only time he was mentioned in mum’s diary. I did find a reference to him in the Local Recall database /EDP archive but sadly this is no longer accessible. While there is an EDP archive at the library in Norwich, this is not searchable so it is difficult to find information unless tied to a specific date.
Antidepressants
During this period, mum had had severe struggles with her mental health, suffering with depression and anxiety, see Chapter 116. She was on antidepressants. On this occasion, she took one tablet of long-acting amitryptilline (Lentizol, L).