St John’s church was built in the 1860s and, apart from some internal decorative additions and the removal of some pews to create limited space for children’s activities and a coffee area at the back, it was hardly modified in the following century-and-a-half. It had an inadequate heating system utilising large-bore pipes under some of the pews, and diasbility-unfriendly toilet facilities that could only be accessed through the chancel, which many people found inconvenient or embarrassing during services. There were also no kitchen facilities – members of the congregation had to take the coffee cups home for washing up after services.
So in 2013 we began to hatch a plan to re-order the interior of the building. Originally this included the addition of an extension with toilets and kitchen facilities as well as space for meetings, but we had to postpone this part of the project when we realised the costs were escalating faster than we could raise the funds to pay for it. By early 2019 we had enough from congregational giving and various grants to start work on the rest of the plan. Then we discovered asbestos in the building, including a layer of loose fibres in the floor under the organ! In some ways this was a blessing in disguise: there was no option but to strip out the organ in order to remove the asbestos but our organist of many years had already had to stop playing on health grounds, so we were able to use the space gained in the organ chamber for a new Vestry while converting the old Vestry into proper toliets with disabled access.
We have kept the traditional character of the chancel, with is Lorimer rood screen, Victorian tiles, high altar and reredos, though the choir stalls have had to be removed to make way for new Victorian-style radiators. But the nave has been transformed into a warm, bright, airy, flexible worship space, with a new heating system, confortable chairs and a servery for the preparation of refreshments. We can now vary the church layout for different types of use and provide better facilities for families with children, midweek meetings, study groups, activities and events. One of our first new ways of using the building will be a monthly Memory Cafe for dementia sufferers, their carers, and other lonely people. Our intention is that St John’s will now provide a point of contact and resource for the local community.