Looking back to 1932 – Buffalo Sunday
An article in the September 1932 issue of St Pauls Church Magazine made me take another look at the photograph on page 123 of our millennium book, ‘Chipperfield Within Living Memory. It is a fascinating picture taken at the war memorial and in the original it is easy to pick out the bandsmen, the cross-linked arms of the circle of men and their regalia. Up until now however, it has been a mystery to know who they were and what the occasion was. But, surely the following description in the article fits the scene in the photograph perfectly.

Canon Arthur Jefferies, who was the vicar in 1932 writes that he was proud to wear the handsome chaplains collar, which had been presented to him in recent months, when he was admitted into the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (West Herts Province).

The RAOB had chosen to come to St Pauls Church for their annual Sunday Festival. The assembled brethren represented a large number of lodges from quite a wide area and, in spite of the threatening weather, the group numbered just one short of a hundred. The group assembled in the Church Institute (now the Village Hall) at 3.00 p.m. and paraded through the village led by Dickinsons Silver Band. At 4.0 p.m. a service was held in the church. Following this, they processed to the war memorial, led by the cross-bearer, vicar and choir and a wreath was laid there.

The finale was most impressive. A senior brother ordered the circle of men to link arms and on the command ‘Count, each member in succession called out his number in the chain up to 99. The band played Handels ‘Largo and the line broke up and dispersed. Canon Jefferies concluded his article by congratulating the Bovingdon Lodge No. 5078, which had Chipperfield as its real home, for their organisation of the day. Mary Nobbs

Tags: Mary Nobbs