Comments on: Road Scrapers Complaint

By: Skegness Magazine

Skegness Magazine — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:09:37 +0000

I don’t believe this, G, I just found an article in 1911 (early January) outlining a “Watch Night”, exactly like you said!! I’ll upload it shortly.

By: Skegness Magazine

Skegness Magazine — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:29:55 +0000

Thank you for that explaination, G, I wasn’t aware of that.

By: G Chatfield

G Chatfield — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:31:01 +0000

I suspect that the word ‘whatch’ is ‘Watch’ rather than ‘work’. Watch Night Services were (and sometimes still are) held on New Year’s Eve in Methodist chapels. As with ‘Midnight Mass’ they are at 11 pm rather than 6 pm. The letter is dated 4 January, which would seem to point to this explanation. Perhaps the Road Scrapers usually worked when most of the good folk of Skegness were tucked up in bed, whereas on Watch Night they would have been abroad much later.