Page 29 - The Long Crendon Connection

The Long Crendon Connection Redditch Heritage

My great grandfather Philip Spencer left Long Crendon and married Emma Allcock. He became
leader of the town Band along with his sons and, later, grandsons. At one time 18 of the 22 band
members were Spencers . Philip served on the Upper Ipsley School Board He was organist for
the Congregational church and ran the Sunday School for 46 years. Philip was also a composer
and a ‘renowned performer of the euphonium’! He remained Conductor of the Band until his
death in 1918. He was also of course a Needle Manufacturer - altogether a ‘Good Egg’.

I lived in Plymouth road with my grandparents from c 1948 until 1952, attending Bridge Street
School before the High School. Much of my time was spent at the Methodist chapel in Mount
Pleasant. Our Sunday School leader was Mr Ingles. The church was packed for Anniversaries and
we had a marvellous youth club twice a week, run by Colin Johnson We were useful for Sunday
services when we took turns to pump the organ, until a new electric one was bought. Sunday
school outings were usually to the Malvern hills. I remember Alan Partridge at church and youth
club,
My Grandfather was William Best who came from a poor farm labourer family in Alvechurch.
William worked at Lane Farm, Southan’s Hopwood Brewery in 1897, then in Leicester and Rutland
Asylum, gathering references for entering the Birmingham Police force. He received a
commendation for stopping a runaway horse and was promoted to Sergeant in Redditch, living
with his family in Church Road. They eventually moved to 89 Plymouth Road and, when he retired
he became a night porter at the Abbey hostel – a job which he loved. I remember that, as he
grew older, he would always walk with his stick down the middle of the road, being greeted by
everyone – quite easy with little or no traffic.

The photo here is of Alvechurch National School in about 1880, and the other is William Best in
the Birmingham Police force in c1905

Source: Email conversations 2013/2014

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