Tonbridge Lions’ Christmas Collection

Lion Ken Thomas (barrel organ mechanic) looks on whilst Lion President Allan Mort collects the donation from Sir John Stanley MP.

Tonbridge Lions have rolled out their barrel organ again for their Christmas collection in Tonbridge.

To demonstrate his support for the good work done by the club, Sir John Stanley, MP for Tonbridge & Malling, stopped to put his donation in the collecting tin of Lion President Allan Mort outside Iceland Foods, Tonbridge.

The idea for a Christmas collection, with the proceeds being used to provide Christmas gifts to some of the elderly in the community, started back in 1952. At that time the Club had been in existence for less than two years, and was just beginning to establish its reputation as a charitable service organisation in the town. 

Founder member Lions Tom Wakefield and Jim Parks had to drive an open van to Brighton to collect a barrel organ that was hired at a cost of ten guineas a week. As well as appearing in the High Street, the barrel organ was taken to pubs in the town where customers were encouraged to make donations to the good cause by being allowed to give the organ handle a twirl. 

The proceeds of the collection were used to provide gifts – two hundredweight of coal and two bushels of logs (a precursor to the Government’s Winter Fuel Allowance) for the elderly.

In 1969, as barrel organs became museum pieces and were more difficult to obtain, club members set about building one of their own. The music came from a tape recorder powered by a huge lead acid battery from a railway carriage. Thankfully electronic miniaturisation has provided smaller and lighter equipment to be installed in more recent years.