50th Anniversary Celebrations
A local man, a miner, was later tried and convicted of deliberately setting fire to the church. It is said he held a grudge because in the previous month he had been convicted in the local magistrates’ court for stealing the communion wine from the church. The second weekend in December saw the culmination of the anniversary year with a spectacular Christmas tree festival. The church was filled with 50 Christmas trees decorated on the theme of anniversaries and the celebration of community life in Spennymoor. Individuals and local businesses from across the town sponsored trees and they ranged from the extravagant hairdressing tree, to the poignant tree of remembrance. On the Saturday a film crew from BBC television spent all day at the church filming a piece for the programme ‘What The World Needs Now’. The programme was a four week special during advent where presenters David and Carrie Grant travelled the country in search of the true meaning and origins of the season leading up to Christmas. Pictures from the anniversary service can be found by clicking here and from the Christmas tree festival by clicking here! Thanks also to BBC Wear for their coverage of the anniversary celebrations.
JULY 25th 1953 is a day many people in Spennymoor will never forget, because it was the day that St. Paul’s caught fire and the blaze destroyed most of the church.
After three long years and a lot of very hard work, the church was reconsecrated and reopened for worship on November 1st 1956. The reopening coincided with a visit from the late Queen Mother who was passing through the region. During her short visit to the church, she remarked on the “bold use of colour” when looking up at the ceilings.
In 2006 the parish church celebrated its golden anniversary with a series of events and it all kicked off with the release of 50 golden balloons to start the year-long celebrations. Throughout the year the church held a number of social events ranging from themed dances, a car treasure hunt, guest singers and even a family fun day with Professor Nincompoop!
It was on November 1st when the focus turned to the Anniversary of Rededication service when the current Bishop of Durham, The Rt. Revd Tom Wright joined past and present clergy to give thanks for the last 50 years of worship. During his sermon Bishop Tom said; “This church has a great feel and is a great place to worship. We thank God for his presence here and for all that has gone on over the last 50 years and beyond”.
Highlights of the service included a Collage of Memories presentation which saw members of the congregation recall their memories of the fire and this was accompanied by a big screen display of images showing the devastation and the rebuilding. The most moving part of the service was the prayers by candlelight which were read from different corners of the church.
Special guests included Jean Burton, daughter of the Revd Gordon Berriman who was vicar at the time of the fire and Canon Ron Corker who many will remember as curate of St. Paul’s in the 1950’s. Other guests were The Venerable Stuart Bain, the former incumbent and Jean Alker, wife of Chris Alker who was churchwarden at the time of the fire.
