Pilling Coffee Feast

St John the Baptist, Pilling

Pilling Coffee Feast 27th July

On Sunday 28th July the morning church service will be held in the village hall at 10.30 a.m. and will be a joint service with St William’s RC Church congregation, Pilling Methodist Chapel congregation and anyone who wishes to attend.All are welcome, you don’t need to be a regular worshipper, just turn up.

A History of Pilling Coffee Feast

Acknowledgment to F. J. Sobee

The first mention I have been able to find of the Feast is in the Church Wardens' Accounts for 1754-5/- was paid to Mr. Coulton at Pilling Feast- but there is not the slightest doubt it has been celebrated from very early times. IT was probably instituted by the monks of Cockersands Abbey to mark the Festival of the Decollation of St. John The Baptist, the Patron Saint of the church on the 29th Augest.

Mr. Nicholson, Head Master, speaks of it as The Feast or The Annual Feast or The Annual Tea PArty in connection with the Day and Sunday School. It was held in the first week of September until 1884, when it was held Augest, and by 1893 it had become an established thing to hold it on Augest Monday, and by then it was known as "The Coffee Feast," owing to the fact that the beverage provided was coffee.

Writing in the Parish Magazine of October, 1872, the Rev. J. D. Banister says : "This year a good deal of attention was paid to the decoration of both the school rooms and the whole school presented a gay appearance. Festoons of different kinds of leaves, a profusion of flowers, and a neat arrangeemnt of various designs on the walls, helped togive a cheerful look to the interiour on the Festive Day. The Children assembled in consideralble numbers. After enjoying their usal repast of coffee and currant cake, they devoted themselves to various kinds of amusements, and afforded as much pleasure to the spectators as they gave to each other,"

Thanks to friends of the church and children, the "Feast" still goes on as popular as ever. "Pillingers,". young and old gather from far and near to meet old friends and talk over the old times. What a happy day !