Fivehead Friendly Society – The Golden Days

The village of Fivehead has been given two rare brass finials which would have been mounted on the top of a Fivehead Friendly Society members’ poles. Every member of the Society had one of these poles which they would carry through the village on Club Day.

Ron and Maureen Male have kindly donated the finials to the Village to be re-mounted on poles and then hung in the Village Hall, beside the recently restored Friendly Society banner.

Ron was born and raised in Fivehead and has fond memories of his time here.

Ron remembers marching with the Friendly Society in the 1930’s; they would march up Butchers Hill to Standerwick House, home of Captain Cuthbert Matterson where he would fortify them with a glass of sherry. They would then walk down Ganges Hill, stopping at the Troutt’s farm on Silver Street where there was a barrel of cider set up on the wall. The grownups would have a glass or two of cider and the children were given Eifel Tower lemonade in tall thin bottles.
They would then attend Church, with stewards posted at the door to the pub to make sure no one slipped away! After Church they marched to Langford Manor where they were welcomed by William Arthur Key Matterson. During the afternoon there was a steam fair set up in Troutt’s field opposite the Church.

Ron also said how he, and his friend, Arthur Burge, used to squirt water at passing vehicles on the top road, until he misfired one day and caught Captain Matterson full in the face.

Fivehead Friendly Society outside The Bakery, circa 1900

On behalf of the village, we would like to thank Ron and Maureen for their most generous donation, which will soon be mounted alongside of the banner, available for all to see.