Description:Special “country” services were becoming a regular feature in the life of Berkswich parish. Rogationtide is pictured being observed with a procession leaving Brocton Church by the Village Green, on its way round the village.
The Vicar of Berkswich, the Rev. W Merlin Davies expressed the hope that parishioners would play their part in restoring “country” services, Plough Sunday, Rogationtide, Lammas and Harvest Thanksgiving in his Rogationtide Youth service at Walton on Sunday evening. It was, he said through these four “country” services, seen as a whole, that we could best recover for an increasingly urbanised people the vital truth, “The Earth is the Lord’s”, he said. Rogationtide processions were intended as part of the Church’s witness to the fact, and this was the reason for the parish’s revival of Plough Sunday, Rogationtide and Lammas, in addition to the popular Harvest Thanksgiving. These festivals were being widely revived and observed all over the country, but often in a piecemeal fashion. That was to be regretted, because the four festivals were essentially parts of a whole. He felt it was important to see this and to observe all four consistently and regularly. During the service, Lessons were read by two young farmers of the parish, Mr Neville Lewis and Mr Robin Belcher.
Two Rogationtide processions were held in Berkswich parish at the beginning of the week. On Monday evening (16 May), the Curate, the Rev. B O Richards, conducted a short service in Brocton Church and later led a procession in Brocton; and on Tuesday (17 May), a similar service and procession was led by the Vicar, the service was held in Walton Church and the procession took in Walton Village, Cannock Road and Weeping Cross.
This photograph was published in the Staffordshire Newsletter on Saturday 21 May 1955. Reproduced by Kind permission of the Staffordshire Newsletter who retain copyright.