Reunion plan for churchs 50th
People who were married or christened at a church that is celebrating its 50th anniversary are invited to attend a range of special events.
Christ Church on Boundary Road, Newark, was consecrated by the Bishop of Southwell, the Right Rev Russell Barry on March 15 1958.
The building replaced the former Christ Church on Lombard Street, which is now Kingsman Interiors.
A new church became more urgent as new housing estates were built on the south side of Newark and it was felt that the church must move with the people.
It was designed to be spacious, lofty and full of light. The £20,000 project increased to £29,000 and the response to appeals for donations was said to be overwhelming.
The final service at Lombard Street was held on October 13 1957. Services were held in the church hall until the consecration.
On March 12, 1958 the Advertiser reported that the new church would be visited by representatives from other towns seeking guidance in church construction.
The 50th anniversary celebrations start with a Songs of Praise, featuring the top ten hymns chosen by the congregation, on March 16 at 4pm. The guest speaker will be the Bishop of Sherwood, the Right Rev Tony Porter.
A 1958 film, Inn Of The 6th Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman, will be shown on April 18 at 6.30pm and a spring fair will take place on May 10.
The Bishop of Stepney, the Right Rev Stephen Oliver, who was Vicar of Christ Church from 1975-79 will attend a service on May 18.
The team Rector of Newark, the Rev Vivian Enever, will take a service on June 1.
A concert featuring an organist and other soloists will be held on June 27.
A variety of workshops and practical demonstrations for all ages will take place on July 12 and on September 13 and 14 there will be an art exhibition and family fun day.
The Vicar of Christ Church, the Rev Sam Tredwell, said: “It is about having a party for our 50th anniversary and looking forward to the next 50 years.
“It is about welcoming people who got married here, christened or maybe visited with school, to come back and see it.”
Mrs Tredwell said the church could hold about 300 people but about 100 regularly attended services on Sundays.
Mr and Mrs Richard Adlard, of Main Street, Upton, who celebrate their golden wedding on March 22 were the second couple to be married in the church.
Mr Adlard (71) and Mrs Kirsty Adlard (72) will return to the church to renew their marriage vows in front of about 30 family and friends on March 22.
The couple, who lived on Boundary Road, Newark, after they were married, moved to Upton 46 years ago.
Mrs Adlard was a clerk at Davage printers on Kirkgate where Mr Adlard worked in the printworks.
Mrs Adlard said: “We have always considered ourselves to be a Christian couple and thought it would be nice to renew our vows there as we have not moved from the area.
“It would have been nice for us to be the first couple married there, but we were not.”
She said she thought the couple who were the first were business people who married on a Thursday as it was the day shops closed early. Mr and Mrs Adlard were married on a Saturday.
Mrs Tredwell said the church was kept locked for security reasons but people wanting to worship could collect a key from the vicarage. She said she was keen to work out a way for it to be open all the time.
She said she would prefer people to be able to visit the church to light a candle whenever they wanted.
Mrs Tredwell said the church had problems with youths breaking windows, writing on the building and hanging around in the grounds.
She said: “We are no different to anywhere else.
“If they were not here then they would be causing bother somewhere else on Hawtonville.”
She said she hoped the new youth centre on the former Sconce Hills School playing fields site, which is due to open in the summer, would help to improve the situation.
She said a cross had to be removed from the church’s roof in December because it had eroded and was in danger of falling down.
She said the same thing was likely to happen again so instead of replacing it there were plans for a cross and the name of the church above a stained glass window at the main entrance.
Mrs Tredwell said there were plans to start a lunch club for people who had been bereaved.
She said about 100 funerals took place in the church every year, more than at any other church in the Newark area.
Ramp
She said there were also plans to make the church hall more accessible to the community.
She said it needed a ramp at the front of the building and a toilet for disabled people. She said the hall was already used by a playgroup, Brownies, Guides, Scouts, a slimming group, Mothers’ Union, Sunday School and youth group but she wanted to encourage other groups to use it too.
Mrs Tredwell, who was previously the curate at Skegby with Teversal and Stanton Hill, moved to Newark in September.
Mrs Tredwell lives with her husband, Mr Robert Tredwell (42) and children Sian (8) and Martha (23 months).
