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Although St. Lukes Church was old and in need of repair it was fit to be used for services, weddings and funerals and the life of the parish was able to continue — in spite of
many disadvantages — cold, rain, leaks and the noise of raindrops on the tin roof! The children, together with their teachers, had been evacuated and the congregation was certainly depleted but the
faithful carried on resolutely looking forward to the time when they would be able to return to the Parish Church.
During the years following — until 1951 — new life returned to the Parish. The Sunday Schools grew, a children's guild was formed and a number of the parishioners formed
themsleves into a group to consider the work of evangelising in the parish. An outcome of this was the setting up of a Youth Club for the youth of the parish who did not come to church. This demanding venture came about after much thought, prayer and study with the help of Mr. Tom Williams the local Youth Officer and the Club opened in 1950. The Club flourished for about
three years.
The Children's Guild, however, carried on and met weekly under the direction of Fr. Chare who amongst other things, wrote and produced two
pantomimes.
Fr. Chare had St. Lukes Room fitted out with electric light — a great boon to parish activity in the place. However, during the day when a
missionary play was to be performed there it poured with rain and St. Lukes Room was under one foot of water. The play was cancelled for that day but was produced at a later date.
Meanwhile the Evangelistic Committee planned a house to house visitation of the parish in consequence of which some 30 people visited
every road and street in the parish — two calling at each house to deliver an envelope and, where possible chatting with the resident. Another call was made on each parishioner when the envelope was
collected.
Then in October 1951 came the day — the one for which we had waited so long — the day on which the re-hallowing of our church was to take place.
This was performed by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, the Right Reverend Lancelot Fleming assisted by Bishop Kitching in the presence of a large congregation which included the Mayor and
Corporation in their robes.
The bishops were greeted with a fan-fare by buglers from H.M.S. Siskin and during the service the font and altars were re-hallowed. A reception
was held after the service in the Sloane Stanley Hall.
The war was over, the anxious times past. We were, once again, home in our Parish Church.
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