Sir Jimmy Savile, OBE, 1926-2011
When Revd David Bennett became priest in charge of St Edmund’s, he invited Jimmy to do a sponsored run for disadvantaged children in Nottinghamshire and Belfast Northern Ireland. With help from Eaton College near Retford, and a Belfast College, this started a good friendship with Jimmy, to last from 1968 to 1991.
I started coming to St Edmunds in 1972 when I met Sylvia, my wife-to-be. When November came round it was, “What can you do to help?” All members of the church rallied round, getting sponsors, selling crisps and pop around the route.
First, it was 10 times round Saxondale Hospital, till Jimmy got bored. Then they met up with the vicar of the Cranmer Group who advised them to try Scarrington, Hawksworth, Thoroton, Aslockton and back to Scarrington, which we called a 10k run The monies raised took 20 children to the Gower Peninsula in Wales for 2 weeks holiday The weekend started on a Friday when Jimmy visited a School for Children with special needs.
On the Saturday we had a dinner at either Saxondale, Bingham, or County Hall. After the Sunday Afternoon Run we had our service in church when Jimmy would preach. One memorable time was when one choir member, Jack Blackshaw got his surplus on fire waiting to take communion. My, did the press make a story of that? He was said to preach Hellfire and Damnation!
Monday was clean up day, when Maurice & Margaret Harrison, May & Fred Holmes, Fred & Vera Cole, Nell & Walter Meredith, Sylvia & I walked the whole course clearing up.
Jimmy was a Roman Catholic; the first R C to be installed as a church warden into the Anglican Church, by the Bishop of Wakefield in a church just outside Halifax.
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