You would think, with all the work in the world that Quakers do, they would be a household name, but not a bit of it. Eye does not need to remind readers of how the general public views us (through a sepia-coloured lens, mostly).
We can just imagine, too, how some Quakers are viewing the approaching turmoil – pretending it doesn’t exist or hoping it will quickly pass. Eye has been drafted in to take a sneak view of preparations in a small Meeting faced with a big task. The one we know best of course is the editor’s meeting in Northumberland. We have been overhearing the odd outburst of nerves in the office in recent weeks – ‘it’s nervewracking!’ ‘how can it cost that much?!’ ‘Can’t the MM cough up?’*
So we decided to look in on those preparations, curious to see what Alnwick Friends were up to. They’ve gone for an exhibition in two locations with the lure of homemade cake and proper coffee. ‘You know that trick estate agents recommend of having coffee brewing when buyers view your house? Well we hope it works in enticing people in off the street,’ said the editor hopefully. ‘We’ve put out a call for cafetieres and filter pots and we’ll have two orchestrated baking days.’ Alnwick Meeting has a serious reputation for mouth-watering delicacies such as drop scones, fairy cakes, flapjacks and brownies.
‘Appealing to the British love of high tea is right on target, we feel. So what have the Friends to show the public once they’ve got them inside?
‘We have several eye-catching displays’ says the editor proudly, ‘starting off with the excellent modern eighteen panel exhibition from Friends House Quaker Communications Department which we’ve splashed out on.
‘Then we have some mounted prints of etchings from the Spence Collection, sent electronically to us from FH Library, showing some of the awful things people did to Quakers in the early days.’
Nothing too gruesome we hope?
‘Poor George being swiped with a Bible outside a church, in the stocks, being attacked with a rapier sword, that sort of thing. It’s a wonder how he survived it all.’
The Northumbrian Friends have also been researching Quaker history in their patch, which proved to be rather sparse. ‘The trouble is, they were mostly Presbyterian around here.’
The Meeting has provided a profile of themselves for visitors, with photographs and comments on what it is they love about their Meeting. ‘We copied that idea from Hexham,’ the editor owned up.
The Meeting admits to a lack of skill in presenting material in an attractive modern style and so has commissioned a designer to put it all together.
‘After all our efforts over the past months we deserve an expert to guide us on style,’ she said. ‘We want people to discover something about us and we need help to do that imaginatively.’
Is there a special exhibit?
‘Two etchings in the Spence Collection are my personal favourites. One shows naval lieutenant Robert Foster, a Friend, visiting Brigflatts Meeting in his uniform. What a stir that must have caused! And the most endearing entry in Samuel Pepys’ diary after he watched Quakers rounded up: ‘Met several poor creatures carried by constables for being at a conventicle. They go like lambs without resistance. I would to God they would either conform or be more wise, and not be catched.’’

*It did.

This post is from 24 August.