Hockley Reunion Weekend 9th/10th September

 

The Salvation Army Hall in Nursery Road. In the middle of the 19th century, No 5 Nursery Terrace as it was known then, was for three years the home of the Rev George Browne and his family. His daughters all achieved remarkable married status; although he was a little known Wesleyan minister himself. Louisa was the mother of Stanley Baldwin, the prime minister, Alice, the eldest, was the mother of Rudyard Kipling, and Georgina married the painter Sir Edward Burne-Jones. The fourth daughter, Agnes, married Sir Edward Pointer, first Slade Professor of fine art at University College London.

On Saturday 9th September, 70 people gathered together at 3 o’clock for a family reunion. Other than planning a wonderful buffet and a visit from the photographer, we just left people to talk - and did they talk!!! Some didn’t stop from the moment they entered the hall.

It was a thrill for all of us who were at the Corps during the 50’s to see Mrs Corn. She is now 90 years old and had travelled from Basingstoke.

Our visitors for the weekend came from as far away as Hong Kong and all corners of the UK. Many joined us for the Sunday meetings at the Citadel where the warmth and comradeship between the former Hockley comrades and the Citadel folk was quite lovely. The meetings were excellent both in leadership and preachment and it would have been quite impossible not to listen and examine our own faith. This was really our prayer at the beginning of the weekend. We are trusting that those who were previously linked will find their way back to the family of God who is worthy of our love and service.

The pictures below reflect the past as well as the present - interesting to note that the Sunday evening Glory March (bottom right) is in the present!