Mexborough and Swinton Times November 7, 1925

Silver Jubilee
Social Gathering
Stationmaster’s retirement

On Tuesday evening at a Social Gathering Mr. W. H. Chambers congratulated Mr. Lee and the great success secured in the happy event. Church work at Denaby Main had greatly advanced the early days when only a handful of people attended the services, and he thought the sign of the times was very encouraging. He bore testimony to the good work done by the Soar family and others.

Mr. Wilkinson (Warden) also added a few words of commendation. The Rev. J. Brooks, Rev. S. F. Hawkes and the Rev. H. B. Greaves gave brief addresses, and the vicar thanked them all for the way they had rallied around him. They had got through a quarter of a century, and for the next 25 years, as the Bishop reminded them on Sunday night, they must go on building on that foundation. If they were a happy and united people they could accomplish much to the glory of God and the good of one another. (Cheers.) They had broken several records in connection with the event. There had been more communicants on Sunday than they had ever had, and bigger collections than they had ever had previously.

Apart from one occasion – that of the Cadeby colliery explosion when the Archbishop of York came down, they had never had the church so full as on Sunday night when the Bishop of Sheffield spoke to them so eloquently. They had had a wonderful inspiration from their Silver Jubilee, and he felt sure it would bear good fruit in the days to come. (Cheers.)

During the evening a musical programme was given by Mrs. W. Still, Miss Dean, Mr G. W. Smith, Mr C. thornton (songs); Mr C. Croxall and Mr E. Bury (monologues); Mrs D and F. Wathey (violin and piano duet); Miss Harding and Mrs. Bury (dialogue). Mr. E. Dabbs was the accompanist. There was also a sketch. “Colonels consent,” by Mrs. A. And. Robinson, J. Roberts and T. Holcrot.

The concert was followed by dancing

Mr. M. M. Cocker, stationmaster Denaby Main (Hull and Barnsley railway) is retiring from the railway service, having reached the age of 60. Mr. Cocker has lived in Denaby for 28 years and has made a large number of friends there. For the whole of the 28 years he has been stationmaster at Denaby Main, and for the last three years has been in charge of the section which includes Sprotborough and Brodsworth. He has been attached to the Denaby Main church ever since he came to Denaby, and for the 16 years has been warden, serving 13 years as People’s warden and three years as vicar’s Warden. He has 16 years been treasurer of the Denaby Main co-operative Society, and for several years a member of the local education subcommittee. He is a member of the Institute library committee and one of the managers of the Yorkshire Penny bank. Before coming to Denaby he was at Brodsworth. On previous to that he was on the reliefs staff. Mr. and Mrs. Cocker are to live at Broadstairs, Kent.

Denaby’s First Vicar.

The Church was fairly well filled up at choral Evensong on Tuesday, when the choirboys sang the anthem, “Songs of praise the angels sang.” The Rev. H. B. Greaves vicar of happiness, was the organist and the service was conducted by the Rev. R. M. McDonald, vicar of Earlness, and assisted by the Rev. Robert Gregory, vicar of Gleadless (who read the lessons) and the Rev. H. Lee (Vicar of Denaby Main)

A striking sermon was preached by the Rev J.Brookes, the first vicar of Denaby Main, now vicar of Helpethorpe near Malton, who took as his text, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him and stabilised in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding terrain with thanksgiving.” (Colessians, ii six and seven)

He, said he was sure they had all felt a great sense of joy in the keeping of that festival, and that joy was very largely accounted for by the fact that the festival had enabled them to realise their fellowship in Christ: that they were knitted in one fellowship. Keeping up the festival had given then a sense of happiness, security and optimism about upcoming church life which they lived together.

He had been announced to speak about the history of church life in Denaby Main. But he was going to take a liberty with that: yet, after all, history was not merely a narration of events. It had a higher aim: the interpretation of events, and the settling of them in their true significance, and it was along those lines he was going to speak.

First he would remind them that church life has a place in the worldwide purpose of God. There were teachers and philosophers who say that life is but a gamble and that there is no security. The Christian view of human life was that they saw in it a definite divine purpose which God was working through the ages. In Christ we had not only an example, the revelation of God’s eternal purpose. If they ask themselves what was the aim towards which they werebeing guided, the answer was that they were being led onto a likeness of Christ. That was what they were intended to become