(Photo: Cuwell and Co., Ltd.)
A VIEW OF BESSBROOK.
A VILLAGE EXPERIMENT.
The Rev. W. E. Bolland, M.A., vicar of Embleton, Northumberland, has, in conjunction with some friends, launched a scheme for a model club and hall for the village. The plan contains some novel features, inasmuch as it embraces a working men's club, a public hall available for meetings, entertainments, etc.; a café and refreshment rooms, specially catering for cyclists and visitors; bedrooms for summer visitors, and also a public laundry. The catering will exclude the provision of intoxicants, and it will be seen from the illustration that the architect has planned a very attractive looking house. This village scheme will be closely watched, and, if it should succeed, there can be no doubt that the enterprising vicar of Embleton will have many followers.
THE PROPOSED TEMPERANCE CLUB FOR EMBLETON.
THE BLUECOAT BOYS.
In a very short time London will be deprived of one of its most picturesque sights—namely, the tramp of its seven hundred or more Bluecoat boys to the Mansion House on Easter Tuesday to pay their respects to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, and receive a monetary gift, and a bun and a glass of wine. The Grecians are given a sovereign and a shilling each; the junior Grecians a half-sovereign and a sixpence; the monitors half-a-crown; and the other boys a shilling each. The removal of this famous school to the country will possibly put an end to the function. The glass of wine has become a diminishing quantity in recent years; for, thanks to the activity of a friend at court, lemonade was introduced as an alternative a few years back, and now the teetotal boys have no hesitation in availing themselves of this beverage. The preacher of the Spital sermon this year is to be a life-long abstainer, the Bishop of Carlisle.
COMING EVENTS.
The programmes for the May meetings are now nearing completion. The Church of England Temperance Society announces as speakers the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Chichester, the Bishop of Thetford, and the Rev. Dr. Ridgeway; the National Temperance League relies upon the Archbishop of Canterbury, Mr. T. W. Russell, M.P., Mr. John Colville, M.P., the Rev. George Hanson, B.D., and Miss Agnes Weston; while Sir George Williams will preside for the United Kingdom Band of Hope Union. The annual meetings of the Scottish Temperance League will be held in Glasgow on April 17th; the annual meeting of the Sussex Band of Hope Union will take place at Lewes on April 26th; a social meeting of the Young Men's Auxiliary of the National Temperance League will be held in Sion College on April 21st; the Hackney and East Middlesex Band of Hope Union will give a reception in honour of its new President, the Dowager Countess of Errol, on April 20th. The usual open-air demonstrations in the London parks, promoted by the United Temperance Council will take place on Saturday, June 17th. The Rev. F. B. Meyer will preach the annual sermon of the Congregational Total Abstinence Society. The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Temple will give a Garden Party at Lambeth Palace on July 1st to meet the official advocates of the temperance movement. The Norwich Diocesan temperance anniversary will be held at Norwich from October 17th to October 24th inclusive.