A huge thank you to all who have shown their concern over the fire at St James on Thursday 17th May 2007. We are pleased to say that the damage could have been a great deal worse. The creche with its roof timbers was badly damaged. You can see some pictures of the damage in the Gallery.
The reason for this appears to have been water running down the internal wall from a sporadic leak caused when wind and rain combined in a particular way. The acidic nature of the soot means that careful cleaning of the stained glass, the stonework and the furniture and fittings is required. This cleaning work is currently being done and should be completed before Christmas.
The repair of the creche roof should be underway soon, we are receiving tenders and the work should not take that long.
The organ will not have to removed from the premises but will need to be dismantled completely and then replaced in situ. It looks as though there are a few years left yet in the organ and we are not having to face the big issue of its replacement when it reaches the end of its realistic working life. That decision will come sooner or later, but not now.
Services are being held in our church hall and Audley Theatre and the volunteer workers there have been a huge support in helping the church's ministry to carry on. Our heartfelt thanks go out to them.
What about weddings and Funeral services you may ask? In response let me say that the staff at St James are still more than pleased to be able to help in any way they can. In practice this will mean however that these occasional services will held at St John's, Alsagers Bank - a delightful church, but seemingly little known amongst many in the area. The Methodist church too has expressed a willingness to help us by holding services there, subject to availability.
Thank you to the many who have offered financial support at this time. I hope that most of our local people will have received a leaflet explaining the costs of refurbishing the church together with some necessary restoration work that was discovered as a consequence of the inspection following the fire. Many have started to give and we would encourage as many as possible to give through regular and ongoing giving. Small amounts regularly given by a large number of people will help secure the long term maintenance of this ancient church building in our village. If you haven't found a leaflet explaining how to give then please use the contact page in this website and we will be pleased to let you have the necessary information. Thank you all
