Tower and Town, October 1986

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO: JOAN BARTON AND TOWER AND TOWN

In 1961, following the success of Marlborough's stewardship campaign, Joan Barton thought that a new magazine was an essential part of the parish's new commitment. The exist ing magazine - four pages, was edited by the Rector, Francis Browne, who had plenty to do without the monthly effort of producing a magazine as well. Joan also believed very strongly that editing a parish magazine was a layman's job.

So the idea of Tower and Town was born, with of course the Rector's concurrence. Joan knew what she wanted and believed in getting to know existing magazines, so as to be able to build on their good ideas. So on a sultry summer's day we set off to Birmingham where there was an exhibition of Parish Magazines, and spent a happy time looking, reading, making notes and talking to people.

Meanwhile the distributors had been having rather a diffi cult time taking round the magazine; sometimes they even had to make up their subscription money themselves. Joan asked Irene Phillips to undertake this vital task of co-ordination. Soon she had transformed the group into an enthusiastic bunch of helpers. They met monthly to collect their magazines and soon found that they were handling a popular product: the number sold rose dramatically, as the Town as well as the Tower responded.

Joan had an immense respect for, and love of, words, nat ural in a poet of considerable ability. She wrote to John Betjeman, a friend from our British Council days, telling him about Tower and Town, and he responded with the couplet which, I think, started it for a considerable period of time -

Ring up, good bells, ring up, ring down.
May Marlborough bells call Marlborough Town.

Barbara Watson