Plus ca change..........

Last year I visited the Hidden Heene Exhibition at St Botolph’s Church in Lansdowne Road, Worthing. One of the several fascinating exhibits was a scrap book containing relevant cuttings from the Worthing Herald. The one that grabbed my attention was from the edition dated Friday, 3rd July 1953, (exactly 61 years to the day of my visit). It printed part of a speech made by the Rt. Rev G H Warde, Bishop of Lewes in which he stated that “.....the freshness of British Womanhood ........has fallen and fallen a long way.” He went on “The girls and women who are often photographed or featured in the Press in what are called “daring” dresses or “glamorous” swimsuits are not contributing to the good of life; but are making decent thinking and moral action a terribly hard thing for young men and boys – and indeed for men who are not so young.” Bishop Warde died in 1972 aged 83 so I wonder what he would make of today’s female fashions! In the light of recent high profile cases it would appear that men of a certain age excused their lack of control by blaming women’s seductive ways. Hopefully now with a lot more flesh on display than in 1953 modern man, (and woman too), may rise above their animal urges. Posted 27/09/15