The Henson Journals

[143]

Wednesday, February 24th, 1926.

I wrote to the Vicar of Harton on the subject of his failure to present confirmation candidates. No good can be done (for the Ethiopian cannot change his skin.) but it eases my mind!

Then I signed a number of G.T.S. cards: and then, the morning being sweetly (probably hypocritically) warm & sunny, we set forth for Sunderland in an open motor, greatly daring.

The Royal visit was a great success. There were immense crowds in the streets, who were very enthusiastick, and evidently well–pleased. The programme was carried through without hitch, & fairly to time. I sat beside Princess Mary at lunch, & talked with her. She was slightly deaf, & looked rather melancholy: but she spoke with evident interest of her children. I read prayers at the stone–laying, & then came away. Ella was with me throughout, & went on with me to South Shields, where we had tea with the Vicar of S. Hilda's. After tea we went to S. Stephen's, where I confirmed 51 candidates from 3 parishes – S. Stephen's, S. Aidan's, & S. Thomas – of which the population was about 28,000! This is about one tenth of the number of candidates which the population ought to provide.

[144] [symbol]

I inquired of the clergy – Lister, Anderson, & Harrison, all very weak men – whether they could suggest any explanation of the petty number of candidates. They could only indicate that poverty caused by unemployment caused girls to hold back from being confirmed because they couldn't afford the dress which social convention insisted upon. This seems trivial enough, and could not in any case explain the fewness of the boys. The Rural Dean (Hudson Barker) attributes the failure to the frenzy of dancing which now carries all before it in South Shields. As many as 2500 adolescents of both sexes dance every Saturday night in the Casino; and he meets numbers of the dancing returning home about 7.00 a.m., when he issues forth for the early celebration. There may be something more in this. In these industrial centres the people think, speak & act in masses: there is very little individuality left. But much must be ascribed to the fewness, and inefficiency of the clergy. They are unable to "cover the ground", & they are destitute both of initiative & of courage. The Church of England is stricken by an anoemic congregationalism, & wanes visibility.

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