“My wife went with Florence, our daughter. According to Gleeson, thechivoo was in full swing by eight o’clock. There was a whist drive going on in one portion of the hall, and children’s games were being conducted in another part. Now and then someone would be asked to go to the stage and give a song or a recitation.

“When Kendall entered the hall there was a children’s game called musical chairs going on. Our girl was in this game. Mrs James was playing the music on a piano and every time she stopped all the children rushed to the chairs, one of which was always short. Kendall went over to watch the game when Mrs James was playing and the children were dancing round the chairs in a circle. It turns out that when Mrs James stopped playing Florence hesitated in choosing a chair to run to, and Kendall pushed her with unnecessary violence so that she tripped and fell.

“The child wasn’t hurt, but the push ruined her chance of getting a chair. The parson, Mr Llewellyn James, admonished Kendall for interfering, and Kendall said: ‘I was only showing the silly brat what chair to go to.’ With that, young Jason, the son of the garage proprietor, walked up to Kendall, put a hammer lock on him, and marched him from the hall. There might have been a fight outside had not Gleeson been there, and to Gleeson, Kendall explained that what had happened was an accident. Young Jason went back inside, and after Gleeson had a few words with him. Kendall went in.

“At half past nine they servedsupper, and after supper all the children left and the dancing began. It was when Gleeson was having a dance that Kendall said something to young Jason and they went quietly out and fought in an adjacent allotment. Result: Kendall won and Jason wasn’t seen again that night.