by Iron Eagle 28 Replies latest jw friends
I used to go to Dudley, before helping to build Hellaby in '86. I went to Hellaby, for a while, before heading back North of the border.
I, also, helped out on night duty. It was a good excuse to get out of weekend Field Service, since I was Pioneering at the time. The booklets were nice and glossy, and I probably still have one, somewhere. An expensive marketing ploy, methinks.
I was at the '88 refurb of Bowes Road, too. Many years before that, it used to be an old stomping ground.
Hello everyone,
I got in on this one a bit late (as usual)!
My Ass Hall was Hellaby (won't tell you how close I live to it now still), my wife still attends.
I loved night watchman duties, especially when EPAH was being built/finished, when there was the old farm buildings and the green caravan next to the horse manure heap! I rememer one bro. going to the toilet and leaving his Walkie Talkie on broadcast! WEE did have a laugh, especially when we found out that Nobel Bowers the Hall Overseer had left his W-Talkie turned on at the side of his bed. He liked to listen in and keep tabs on what the watchmen were up to (everyone used to prat around with the Radio Coms!
I had some good memories from volunteering for work assignments there. Shame the Borg turned out to be 'Da Troof' and not The Truth!
Qwerty
Night watchmen at Hellaby, I did that, I remember walking around guarding all the construction stuff that was lying around, do you remember how muddy and cold it was? Some brothers, who came to offer help, had to stay in a converted lorry trailer, I recon about 20 sleeping in this crap trailer, poor sods.
The first night we did Night watching we took cans of Bear to drink, loads of food to eat it was like going on a camping holiday. Next time large notices about No Alcohol appeared!
We had a Log book to record any incidents, well as you can imagine the boredom of us young brothers all night, we used to write and make up funny stories, just to add a little humour to the log book
walking past the stables the horse named King made a coughing noise we think he his feeling a little horse. (The stable girls came early in the morning, what a sight just what us young teenage brothers needed)
found a dead rat and gave it a good burial, brother Smith gave the prayer.
Night watchmen reporting nothing accept it is dark and cold, want to go home
heard a strange noise coming from a caravan sounded like some one being suffocated, on further investigation it was found to be Brother Bowers snoring loud.
All getting frostbite now can we go home?
yes it sure was a funny book to read I wonder if it has been preseved?
Next time we came to do our privilege, there was a note stuck prominently on the Log Book about how the Local Police come and read the book, and how it was not a good witness to write jokingly logs, and any one found doing so would be disciplined..
One night the brother got over zealous and noticed some men loading some equipment into the back of a truck, call the police, they came but it was OK the men had to collect some hired equipment (they had the paperwork to prove it and the brothers should have read the note that these guys would collect the equipment that night), but the police arrested the men for being drunk. The driver would have lost his driving licence and also his job.
frogit
Frogit,
Do you live anywhere near EPAH?
Beer on duty, you little tink, wish I had thought of that.
The highlight of the night was reading through the log book, you have a good memory.
All I can remember is things like "1.47am - Suspicious acting Rabbit quietly passes the Caravan. Was going to alert police, but Rabbit must have seen us observing it and made quick get away. It vanished soon after. 1.49am - All quite."
I bet the Van driver was put off JW's for life.
Qwerty
Edited because I ever only see spelling mistakes after posting!
Edited by - qwerty on 20 January 2003 6:35:30
Qwerty
Yes about 50 miles away can't at this time say exactly, you understand!!!
I spent most of my weekends working at EPAH whilst it was being built, made some good friends, and learnt a lot of how some Brothers like the "Lime Light" and boss uz young un's about. Some kept the best jobs for really spiritual ones and if you were not a spiritual brother you were not allowed to do some jobs, or even do night guard "privileges"!
I must have been privileged to have a roof permit, one day I worked on top of the roof, wow what a view, look at all those lovely sisters.And it looked good to show off my roof permit too.
I really fancied a nice pioneer sister who had temporally given up pioneering and worked full time at EPAH, but I never asked her out, I was far too shy.. Could kick myself now. Never mind.
I remember taking up Antiques because a brother was in that line of work, he would sell them, and give the money to the EPAH fund. The old sisters used to sort out all the valuable thing and donate them cuz the system was ending soon, and would have no need for them.
I will think of other stories to tell when I remember them
frogit
The old sisters used to sort out all the valuable thing and donate them cuz the system was ending soon, and would have no need for them.
Our family did that. We gave hundreds of pounds worth of stuff to the EPAH. What a bunch of eejits we were!
I was baptised at Dudley, in that little pool at the front. I seem to remember it was painted mainly orange back then, with those wierd circular things on the walls that made it look like a sixty's sci-fi set, you know, like the interior of the TARDIS.
I also had the privilage of serving as a night watchman at EPAH; Doug and I were in the wooden hut while two other bros had the caravan. We kept going up there to mash tea. I remember the book as well, and being sternly told not to write amusing anecdotes in it because the police might want to use it.
I also remember being assigned to chauffer the architect of the hall around to various congregations in order to inform the bros of what was happening. After the promo talk one old sister came up to him and donated her wedding ring for the fund - it must have been worth a fortune but not only that it made me wonder how someone could give away treasured family heirlooms like that.
I used to attend Dudley until about 8 years ago. I was there at the dedication weekend in the mid 70s. The balcony was always hot and stuffy in the afternoon and combined with the boring program caused much drowsiness.
The town of Dudley must do a roaring trade at the weekend, especially the fast-food places after the "simplification." I know my ex-wife liked to spend Saturday afternoons shopping and skipped most of the PM program.
Thirdson
It's proximity to Merry Hill Shopping Centre is always a bonus for shopaholics - we often pop over there on a Saturday!
Does anyone remember making cakes for Circuit Assemblies? We always did! Toward the end of the lunch break, only the really foul cakes were left over. There was always loads of people who made absolutely foul cakes!
Edited by - matty on 21 January 2003 5:15:28
