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Memories of Wesley
 Introduction
For close on ninety years the Four Clocks building has stood in Newgate Street. Not only has it been a fine and noteworthy landmark, but also as Wesley Church it has been loved by so many. From the base of its fundamental work as a Methodist Church, it has been a place to which many people have turned for help, something of a refuge when they were in distress. It sent many of its sons and daughters off to two World Wars, and the names of the fallen are commemorated in the great bronze memorial which can still be seen in the building today. It marked the happy occasions in the lives of Bishop Auckland folk Ð the weddings and baptisms, the social events; and it saw those sad times when farewells were said to loved ones. Throughout it all, worship continued, week by week, through good times and through bad. All these aspects of the life of the former Wesley Methodist Church are remembered with much affection in this book.
Now, this same building, (with its four clocks re-gilded), begins the next phase of its life, as a new centre where people will still find help Ð and now help in a much wider variety of ways. In the future the building will be the home to a range of organisations that are able to offer assistance and advice to the people of our town and the surrounding area.
For me, as Methodist Minister, and also as Chair of Bishop Auckland Community Partnership, it has been a joy and a privilege to share in the life both of the old and the new existences of the Four Clocks, and I know that that sense of privilege is shared by many others. We are indebted to Barbara Laurie for her enthusiasm in putting together this text, and we hope that you enjoy the pictures and recollections. As they bring back treasured memories of the past life of Wesley, may we all rejoice that the premises of the new Four Clocks Centre has a great future to look forward to.
Rev. Dr. Michael Thompson |
Origins of Wesley
 The Bondgate Chapel, originally built in 1804, served the Methodist Society well until in the 1880s the town began to develop further southwards. The Trustees accordingly began to look for a new site, and in 1902, they bought four cottages in West Terrace (where the Bradbury Centre now stands). A mission chapel - South Road Mission - was soon started in West Terrace. Then in 1907 a further purchase was made of a row of eight single-storied houses called Brougham Place, South Road (where Wesley Church now stands).
By February, 1908, the Trustees had asked a London architect to come and look at the proposed site and bring specimens of Churches with him. Plans for Church and Schools were prepared in 1911 by Messrs. Gordon and Gunton, the well-known Methodist architects. By July, 1912, the Trustees agreed that the contractors' tender of £8,655 for the New Church and Schools submitted by Mr. Thomas Hilton be accepted, and that Witton-le-Wear stone be used. The foundation stones were laid the following October.
In March 1913 a major festive effort was held to raise money for the building of the new church. It was a mammoth three-day Grand Forest Bazaar in which the whole Circuit took part. The money raised was added to the money raised from the sale of the Bondgate premises.
The new church was not ready for its original opening date, and the opening ceremony took place on February 18th,1914. It was decided that the clock in the new church be started at the conclusion of the afternoon service on the day of opening, and Mr. Joseph Lingford be asked to perform the ceremony. This was followed by tea at five o'clock and an evening meeting at six thirty.
from Sixty Years of Service
by Arthur Wise |
The Visible Church
 | The outstanding architectural feature of Newgate Street is Wesley Church. Its magnificent tower looks down with quiet dignity on shops and business houses and bears witness to the higher life. Its uprightness symbolises honesty and aspiration. It bids us look up to the light. Its four clocks remind us that the timeless God is concerned with this world of time, and that the good news of His caring must go out twenty-four hours every day to north, east, south and west.
Let those who enter and find here mercy and peace and the uplifting power of God's love, go out with lighted faces that tell of contact with the Eternal.
from THE FOUR CLOCKS CHRONICLE
Newsletter of Wesley Church - Advent 1962 |
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Fulfilling a Calling
I became a member of Wesley in 1962, when I transferred from Woodhouses. Everybody was so friendly - I knew a lot of people through working at Ferens. I thought the church was even more beautiful than Punshon in Bournemouth, where I had worshipped.
My sister Mary joined shortly after I did, and on June 19th 1969 she was married at Wesley to Dr. Gordon Henderson of Ormesby. Rev. Arthur Bryant conducted the service and Mr. Jack Hart on the organ made it a happy occasion. I was her attendant. Our eldest brother Bill gave her away, and Gordon's brother Derek was best man. It was at nine in the morning and we had breakfast at the Queen's. Gordon had arranged for them to fly to Switzerland and the best man and I went to the station to see them off.
Wesley always makes me think of worship and work, because in 1975 I was unemployed. I had left Ferens in 1972 and gone to work at Turner Stayne at Tindale Crescent, a glass factory making medical supplies. I found it fascinating because I had to do all the documentation for worldwide exportation. But in 1975 it was moved down to the Midlands so I found myself out of a job. Mr. Dixon Heslop, Senior Society Steward, asked me if I would become a steward and I felt that I was answering my calling. So I became a Society Steward and made a bit of history by being the first woman at Wesley.
I did voluntary work - typing and writing work and pastoral visiting, and it occupied me and gave me a sense of fulfilling the calling which I felt had come when I became a Local Preacher.
In 1975 the Rev. Kenneth Thornton came as minister and the following year he began a meeting for the young wives. A creche was organised and I was given the job of looking after the big box of toys. Miss Mildred Curry and Mrs. Jean Wood helped look after the children. I used to go early to get the toys out. Living so near to Wesley it was easy to do that. I loved playing with the children - and with the toys! They were some of my happiest times at Wesley.
By 1977 I got a temporary job at Wear Valley District Council typing inspection reports on council houses and bungalows. It lasted ten months and I missed being able to look after the children. I've always loved children. It made my day when one of the little ones asked to sit on my knee.
Mrs. Janice Siddle brought her two daughters, Wendy and Maria, to the creche and we became friends and have remained good friends ever since. She gives Mrs. Hamblin, Mrs. Snowball and myself lifts to morning service and back each Sunday.
I got to go to District Committees and in 1978 I went to the Methodist Conference at Bradford when Rev. Donald English was President. He was born in Co Durham and it made me feel proud.
We had happy times like the Flower Festivals (especially when we were in the flower arranging class); but happy mostly because of all the people I was able to get to know and help. I was thirty-one years a member of Wesley. I hope that the people who work at the Four Clocks are as happy working there as I was in my thirty-one years.
Jennie Neesam |
One of the most Caring of Churches
 | Back in 1979 our son Andrew joined the Sunday School at Wesley Methodist Church. He put the question to his dad and me - Why don't you go to the church? Being a Christian family we were looking for a church we could join, so we decided to go to Wesley.
From the first moment we entered the church we felt it was the one for us. Everyone was so friendly. Wesley church was one of the most caring of churches. I was asked to join the Sunday School and have very many happy memories of teaching the children and the anniversaries we had. My husband Frank also played a big part in Church life. He was a Church Steward, the Pastoral Secretary and a Local Preacher.
I was very upset when the church closed, but nothing can take away the many happy memories I have. We were like one big family worshipping the one God we all love.
I was very pleased when the Four Clocks Project bought the building instead of it being used for commercial purposes. I am sure it is going to be a big advantage to Bishop Auckland.
Florence Allison |
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Teenage Days
 Our teenage days at Bishop Auckland were filled with activities at Wesley. In fact, Wesley took over our lives.
On Sunday there was Sunday School with Harry Scott as Superintendent. Sunday evening found us gathered at the home of Miss Maude High and
Miss Beatrice Lawton for an informal get-together - usually round the piano. Tuesday was a leaders' group led by my father.
Summer days meant tennis at the Wesley tennis club courts at the top of Newlands Avenue - now built over. We played even in winter with Boxing Day a speciality. We joined with the United Methodist Club. I always thought we lacked a table tennis club.
I remember much support from the staff at Ferens' Mill. I also recall the production of good nativity plays in the church.
Connie Ayre |
My First Lesson
 Wesley Church taught me my first lesson in the Ministry! I arrived in 1949 fresh from Richmond College, newly ordained and somewhat green. On my first preaching occasion, an elderly man, sitting immediately in front of the pulpit, responded to almost every phrase in my prayer with loud Hallelujahs and Amens. Being unaccustomed to this, I was not a little disconcerted while praying extempore. The Society Steward, Norman Proud, met me at the bottom of the pulpit steps with the comment, Never mind, he's stone deaf and would never have heard a word of your prayer! I recovered my composure in the church porch while shaking hands with the departing congregation when another elderly man said to me, Mr. Ellis, I've been coming to this Church for a long time and that is the finest sermon I've ever heard preached from this pulpit. I made my way to the vestry, glowing with youthful pride. I was met by Norman Proud with the words, "Don't take any notice of that, Dick! He says that every week to every preacher who comes!" Since that day I have regarded every post-service comment with considerable scepticism!
R H Ellis |
Full of Activity
 | Wesley Church was full of activity. My parents were there every night, at choir practice, Men's Night, Church Fellowship - numerous meetings. A lot of well-known Bishop Auckland names went to our church - Ferens, Brotherton, Braithwaite, Edkins, Defty, Boothroyd, Proud, Atherton, Wise and so on. The Youngs, who lived in the School House in Russell Street, were the caretakers. Harry Scott was Sunday School Superintendent, and the Misses. Curry taught Sunday School. Frank Braithwaite played the organ at Wesley for years, and my dad was Choirmaster. It was a big enough choir to perform the usual oratorio repertoire. He was also a local preacher and a Church Steward, and had finance meetings upstairs in the Upper Room. Wesley had so many people going that they had two ministers and several lay preachers. There was a manse at the top of Cleveland Avenue, and a second manse at the top of Durham Chare.
On New Year's Eve there was a party in the schoolroom with a Faith Supper, and then we would all go into church for a Watch Night service - one of my favourite times. At Faith Suppers, people brought food and it was all laid out on a big table and everyone joined in. At Easter there would be Olivet to Calvary or Handel's Messiah with well-known people as soloists. Trips were organised by bus, and the Sunday School outings were always to Whitley Bay - two or three busloads. It was a very big Sunday School. The primary section was under the guidance of Maude Curry while her sister Mildred was active in the junior section.
The church was always full for the Sunday School Anniversary. Every child recited or sang, from the youngest to the oldest, always from memory. For several years my father organised a Festival for the Circuit with elocution and singing and choirs coming from all the chapels in the area. One of the great things used to be the Harvest Festival - decorating the church and on the Tuesday afterwards, auctioning the baskets of fruit. There was a Nativity Play at Christmas, and Music Festivals. There were annual Garden Parties in Angus Ferens' gardens. He had a tennis court and let us play at weekends.
There was no drinking at any of the events. People had wedding receptions at the church, but no alcohol was allowed on the premises. Mam's family were Rechabites, totally opposed to the demon drink, and all we had at home was one little miniature bottle for medicinal purposes, no sherry at Christmas. We had non-alcoholic wine at our wedding.
It was a very happy time, but very protected. Friendships made at church have lasted. It had the closeness of a family. Methodism is based on the family and family values. My life when I was young revolved around school, the church and family, and there was always lots going on.
From Bishop Auckland in the 1950s
Barbara Fletcher |
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When the 4 Clocks Chimed
 In 1986 the clocks stopped, and my mother was upset because she couldn't wear a watch and she depended on them for knowing the time.
So she sent ten pounds to the Council towards the cost of repairing them. The newspaper cutting shows her listening to the new chimes the Council put in at the same time.
Irene Pickersgill |
What the Church Means to Me
The first thought that came into my head was, Why do I come to church at all?
Well, in the first place I wouldn't have been a member of Wesley Church if Newgate hadn't closed, for it was like a home to me and I'm afraid I dislike changes. However, since I came here I have been very happy, for indeed it is a beautiful Church which makes it much easier to worship God. Also I have found fellowship here and have made many new friends as well as keeping old and trusted ones.
As most of you know I am a Sunday School teacher and in teaching the children about the love of God through His Son, it has helped and strengthened my faith also. Especially I have been helped through the Teacher's Training Class as I am sure all the other teachers have; we have come to know each other better.
I also help at the Teenage Youth Club, and here I feel I come into my own, for I am better at using my hands than at making speeches (although some might not altogether agree with me here!). Seriously though, it is one of the hardest tasks running these youth clubs as Billy or any other leader will tell you; sometimes one wonders if we are getting
anywhere at all, but I believe that this is one of the ways to attract young people into the Church. It's like the parable of the sower, some seeds may fall on stony ground, but some we pray on good ground, and indeed I think by the young people who attend the Church every Sunday evening that it is bearing good fruit, and even though they may not seem to be taking much notice, who are we to say what is being sown in their hearts?
Lastly, there is the Fellowship of this Church. I'm afraid I haven't been able to attend as much lately as I used to, but I feel that we miss a great deal by not gathering together more often, for it is here that we really get to know each other, and surely that is part of what the Church stands for; to offer friendship and to help one another, to give and to receive.
Therefore, what do I get out of coming to Church, and what does it mean to me? It means that I find happiness and peace and friendship and the meaning and purpose of life.
Jean Graham
From Four Clocks Chronicle, 1963 |
When Time Stood Still Beneath the Clocks
Many people have experienced moments in their lives, when time appeared to stand still. These may have been mountain top experiences, moments of exhilaration and ecstatic joy, with the sudden realization of an eternal truth. Or they may have been in times of deep descent into the valley of fear, where the light of truth cannot be seen. I take this opportunity to share with you one such joyous experience, a precious moment in my young life which happened in this very building.
During the week preceding Christmas, in the year the war ended, a nativity play was to be enacted by talented church members. As with all such productions, there was great reliance on a competent stage manager, backed by a team of helpers, who prepared the costumes and props, etc. Being an electrician by trade, my dadÕs contribution was to make up and wire all the lighting effects. In those Ômake do and mendÕ days, I was his helper, apprentice if you like. We spent many hours making floodlights from old dried milk tins and second hand brass lamp holders and wiring all in position to provide the desired effects, which were so important. Dad had scrounged some coloured lamps from a pre-war shop display and a couple of lethal looking dimmers, surplus from the Eden Theatre.
There were so many things to be co-ordinated, would it all come together on the night? The big night arrived at last, as big nights do. People came from all arts and parts. The church was filled that wintry night as I recall. The minister gave a brief welcome to the gathering and offered a prayer for the occasion. The lights were turned off in the main body of the church and the congregation soon got used to the glow of the campfire which lit the faces of the shepherds, reclining on the chancel steps.
The stillness was broken by the clarion voice of the narrator, as the great prophecy of Isaiah rang to the high rafters of the church. And so, once again the magical and mysterious story of the nativity began to unfold. We were sitting on the front pew below the pulpit, amongst all the wires and switches, which gave me a ringside view so to speak, whilst my dad carefully followed the lighting plan with the aid of a small torch.
May my verses take you back through the years, to that special moment for a young lad of ten, when time stood still beneath the clocks.
Just there is where the shepherds watched
Huddled 'gainst the night
Angels came through yonder arch
Down a beam of light
Here, Jesus in a manger lay
There, Mary sat demure
Upon a tufted bale
With Joseph standing near
Wise men journeyed down the aisle
Where the star had led
Caravanned in style
Towards a lowly shed
Gifts they brought from wisdom's store
Not only for a king
But for a priest most high
Who'd suffer for our sins
The organ voiced a mighty chord
Undoubtedly by Bach
The angel shone like a noonday sun
To melt the threatÕning dark
Twas in that moment time stood still
I held my breath in awe
The Saviour of the world was here
I know . . . I heard . . . I saw
I pray to God that this realised vision, in this building of memories beneath the clocks, may continue to play a vital role in the community of Bishop Auckland and the surrounding area.
Brian Joslin |
Flowers
 What I remember about Wesley is the love I received from other members. Also my introduction to arranging flowers for Harvest Festivals and the Flower Festival of 1989 which celebrated 75 years of Wesley Church. I helped to arrange the theme of Conservation and Preservation, overseen by Cynthia Scott of Shildon Flower Club.
There were also wood carvings at the front and I did one. Miss Maude Curry made a stool and there were various old implements. Each part of the church had a different interpretation of the theme, and different firms in the town gave sponsorship. Lady Barnard opened the Festival.
Joan Roucroft |
The Four Clocks
There you are, in Newgate Street, high up on Wesley's tower, four faces to the world. What do you think of all the little people you see far below you? What do you say to them?
Some of them never look at you, do they? They have wrist watches or pocket watches of their own; they are sure that they do not need you, so they ignore you; maybe they do not even know that you are there!
Others are ready to use you whenever they want to; they glance briefly at one of your faces, and, having seen the time, look down again and hurry on.
There are a few who are very glad that you are there, but not for the best reason; ironically, you symbolise for them something stable in an ever changing world; they are sentimentally attached to you and would be very sad if you were blown down in a gale or were torn apart by a
demolition company.
But, my dear four clocks, are there not a very few who love you because you make them think of the One who created this world of time, and of His Son who came in the fullness of time to save us, and of His Spirit who is with us till the end of time? Whenever they look at you they
worship God.
All the little people on the street far below you react to your presence in various ways. But what do you think of them? What did you say to them? What do you say to them? Do you try to love them and serve them as the Master of us all did? Do you look at them as He did, as
people who need to be born again in the Spirit? Do you try to say to them "It is time to seek the Lord" (Hosea 10:12), "Remember how critical the moment is" (Romans 13:11), "Let us therefore boldly approach the throne of our gracious God where we may receive mercy and in his grace find timely help" (Hebrews 4:16)?
You look out upon the town with faces which look North, East, West and South. Do people ever think of you as having NEWS to tell of a God who loves and saves? You have only faces and hands with which to tell the news. Yet you can serve God and do serve Him.
My dear four clocks, "never tire of doing good"(Galatians 6:9). Keep on trying to tell those how look at you now is the time to seek and find God.
Rev. Kenneth Thornton |
Feeding the Manse Cat
I became a member in 1989, just prior to my husband's death. His funeral service was there. Mr. Scott from America was the Minister. I used to go to the Manse and feed his cat when he was away. Andrew Champley was the next minister - and he kept the cat.
One of my memories is of a sketch that Lez and Syd and Andrew Champley did at a concert in the schoolroom - the one with the tall smart gentleman, the ordinary bloke and the little one at the end dressed as a tramp. I made a great friend of Mrs. Wetherall who is now ninety-five.
Freda Ellis |
Our Youth Fellowship
The Fellowship must have started in 1946 because I know I was in the first year at the Grammar School, and that was when I met Ken. We had our meetings in the schoolroom at Wesley. Ken's sister and Betty Goundry made the tea; Mary Young - she'd be 14 then - played the piano. We were fortunate in having Mary as pianist. It began at 7.30pm, and we began by singing Cliff College Choruses.
The only other adults who attended, other than Mr Joslin, our leader, were Bernard Braithwaite and Jean Dewhirst - Jean later married Bernard - and the Rev. Dick Ellis who now lives near Barnard Castle.
I don't know how the idea came to Mr Joslin but I do know it was needed, and I am certain Our Lord was definitely behind it. It united the young people of the Circuit - people we might never have met - and I'm more and more certain Our Lord was aware of the potential there was to be used. Many in the Fellowship became Ministers in the Methodist Church and Local Preachers. The young were there just waiting to be 'tapped' and Mr. Joslin certainly led us on the right road.
Initially, the members were from the youth who attended chapel and came from homes with deep religious backgrounds. My great grandfather and grandfather, for example, were very much involved in the building of the present Etherley Chapel when worship moved from the building at Quarry Heads at Toft Hill. But later, I'd think a good fifty percent came to the Fellowship through the original members and Mr. Joslin, and began to attend chapel.
Mr. Joslin took groups of us out into the Circuit to the different chapels, and he encouraged us to take part in the services. We'd give five-minute mini-sermons. I know Ken did sometimes, and I remember my first was at Evenwood Chapel. I think we certainly livened up some chapels, and we were always welcomed.
Today, I'd welcome any young people as one wonders sometimes, who will follow us on. Older members of the chapels, like me now, like to know there will be young folk replacing us.
We always were a good band of singers. I always enjoyed visiting Butterknowle and LandsÕ chapels. After the service at Butterknowle, Arnold Craggs and his wife would invite us to their home, and we'd finish Sunday evening singing hymns. There was a wonderful atmosphere, and we seemed to know that God had come into our lives.
Looking back, I don't know how Mr. Joslin did so well with us. Our Lord was certainly working through him, and giving him the support he needed, as apart from the adults mentioned, Fred Joslin got little or no help from anyone else other than Mr Arthur Humble, who approved of what he was doing with us in the Fellowship. Those who met their partners through the Fellowship are still together, and have had very happy, stable marriages, and for this I thank Mr Joslin as I might not have had Ken and forty-two years of wedded bliss until his death in April, 1999. My parents were married at Wesley and so were we.
I can picture Ken and John Howe at Wesley, now. They took up the collection at Wesley after doing their National Service, and I can see them now, getting into step when taking the collection to the altar.
Happy memories of Wesley and of my own chapel at Etherley, and Lez Rawe and the help he gave us after 1945 when the war was over. I and my sister and brother remember Lez with great affection, and Betty , his wife.
The Fellowship members took part in producing light entertainment. I can remember being in a concert we took to Cockfield. I can remember Ken and Harry Saines doing a sketch, Harry in the dentist's chair and Ken, the dentist. They did their performance so well that Harry had a chip of enamel knocked off a molar.
Looking back, it is the warm atmosphere I recall. We all got on so well together. The Fellowship title was most apt as there certainly was fellowship in the group. The meeting had a different 'feel' to it from other young people's groups I was in - Our Lord was there - He certainly called Fred Joslin to begin the Fellowship.
He was a good leader, down to earth, no 'side' to him. I always had the feeling that he tried to be another Peter Lee, a man he much admired and often mentioned. His wife was a great support but she kept in the background. She was a super cook, and Sunday tea at their home - there were a good number of us Mrs. Joslin catered for - was a grand occasion. She was very homely, a home-maker, and just went about her life quietly doing good.
Also remembered are the trips Mr. Joslin organised to the Lake District, and as a result, we fell in love with the area, and Ken and I were fortunate to have a flat there opposite St John's church. But sadly, by this time, Ken had rheumatoid arthritis, sugar diabetes and heart problems, so our walking high up on the hills did not last long, but we managed walks on the flat, and looked, as it says, to the hills for strength.
Happy days and oh, how great to have the gift of memory to recall those times. I would love to experience again a Friday evening Fellowship at Wesley, with all who attended there.
Sylvia English |
A Bouquet for Wesley
To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Wesley Church, we also wished to honour our founder, John Wesley . This was to take the form of a flower festival entitled 'A Bouquet for Wesley'. We didn't wish this to look amateurish, so about thirty members of the church attended flower-arranging classes. Miss Brenda Hurworth was the designer of the festival, also our teacher.
Some large arrangements depicted events from John Wesley's life. His escape from a fire at the rectory at Epworth, his sailing to America, and on horseback in the Dales. The windows and pillars of the church were decorated using as their theme, hymns of Charles Wesley.
Some fifteen years later, on our 75th anniversary, another flower festival was arranged. This time 'Conservation and Preservation' was the theme. The conservation of Wear Valley, our rivers and lakes. The preservation of embroidery, tapestry, food and plant material. Our heritage in antiques, painting and music. These are just a few of the many displays brought to life by Mrs. Cynthia Scott, a well-known flower arranger, helped by her many friends and members of the church. As we looked at the beauty of these floral displays, we were reminded of God's love for us.
I was privileged to have taken part in both festivals. To the glory of God.
Violetta Alderson |
Memories of Wesley Clocks
For many years, my dad was responsible for keeping the Wesley clocks in good working order.
On Saturday mornings he regularly climbed into the clock tower to wind them up. Sometimes he would say, "Would you like to give me a hand, pet?!" As a child in the forties and fifties I found this quite an adventure!
We'd enter through a trap door. It was very dark in there but dad had a light bulb attached to a long cable so we were able to see where to place our feet on the rungs of the ladders. At the top, dad would push open a flap where we ascended into daylight. In my mind, God lived up there . . . right at the top, watching over us when we said our prayers in the chapel below!
In springtime we washed the four faces after removing hundreds of dead flies in a bucket. During the hard winters the clock pointers sometimes became frozen solid with drifted snow and came to a standstill. Then my dad would get comments in the street, like 'Eeh! what have you done with the clocks Mr. Joslin? We don't half miss them. As many people in the town relied on Wesley clocks they were late for buses and appointments when they were out of action.
Long may they continue to provide a reliable timepiece for the town.
Bette Tregoning |
The Wesley Pulpit
It was in Wesley Church that I first stood in a pulpit to speak in public - a Youth Sunday Service way back in 1936 or 1937 - a nervous experience.
It was in Wesley, after many years taking services in many strange places, especially during the war, that I was accepted, with nine others as an accredited local preacher in 1953. They were - Tom Biggs, Raymond and Joe Gibbon, Myrtle Pearson, Joe Tallentire, Brian Smith, Maud High, George Richardson and Bernard Braithwaite. We were supported by Charlie Hewitson (L P Secretary), Rev. Morris (Superintendent Minister), Rev. R H Ellis (Tutor and Mentor) and Jack Smith (Circuit Steward).
I have occupied that pulpit many times since, and memories come flooding back:- following Father Cunningham, a Roman Catholic priest, into the pulpit; helping with the Communion Service at the Methodist Conference when Rev. Donald Soper occupied the pulpit; the late Walter Young with his beaming smile shaking hands with everyone.
The annual Birthday Parties when we did the Talking Newspapers for the Blind were always great occasions, especially when a blind preacher and a blind soloist occupied the pulpit.
Our Golden Wedding in 1993 was a wonderful memory when Violetta Anderson surprised and delighted us with those glorious golden flower displays. These and many more are stored in the gift, God's gift, of memory.
And finally - being invited to read the lesson in the last service held in Wesley from the pulpit where my preaching all began, was a great
privilege. I've stood in many pulpits, including Newbiggin where John Wesley stood and preached, but it is the Wesley pulpit that brings back treasured memories.
Lez Rawe |
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