It's Titanic Month at the Welsh Chapel
Inside they found evidence of inhabitation by drug users and vagrants, which took them a considerable amount of time to clean up. Since then the industrious pair, who are supported by a small team of volunteers, have reopened the chapel and have ambitious plans to preserve the building which dates back to 1845.
I was walking down Lancots Lane a couple of weeks ago and saw Paul, paint brush in hand, giving an exterior stone surround a good coating. Paul, who serves as chairman of the Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel Preservation Society, exudes a remarkable passion and enthusiasm for the Welsh Chapel and clearly enjoys talking about the building's history and his own family connection with the old church. Paul and his partner Caroline have created a wonderfully, friendly environment within the chapel which was built largely from industrial waste. There's an open house atmosphere with plenty of folk popping in for a cuppa, from police community support officers to workers at nearby factories.
Inside Sutton Oak Welsh chapel are the original yellow pine pews
There's plans to resume Sunday services in April. It's simply too cold to hold them in winter as there's no heating. A heritage lottery grant will be made before too long and it will be needed. There's plenty of work still to be done but what they've achieved so far is quite remarkable. In the meantime Paul is looking at other fundraising ventures, including a car washing service outside the chapel!
Paul tells me that he met Caroline in Manchester at a Titanic exhibition. Consequenty after last year's success, April is once again Titanic Month in Lancots Lane! All kinds of memorabilia connected to the ship and the 1997 film will be on show from Wednesday April 9th, including a glass-shaped dolphin necklace with jiblets of real coal from the actual ship. The New Street Singers have been pencilled in to perform at the Welsh Chapel again on April 26th. Eighty-five people turned up to hear them last year. They're expected to not just sing the hymns that were sung on board the Titanic shortly before it foundered, but they will also perform their own version of Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On.
Banner outside the Lancots Lane building - the dragon is back!
The chapel is currently open all day Wednesdays and Fridays. Why not drop in for a visit and cup of tea or coffee? You're guaranteed a warm welcome. Donations to their coffers are always welcome too!
Edit 22/3/08
The Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel Preservation Society are looking for volunteers to help out at their chapel, anytime on Wednesdays or Fridays. You can help by polishing the church pews, clearing up, gardening, brushing up or simply by meeting and greeting visitors or making a decent brew! Also the team are looking for help when their Sunday services start. Contact chairman Paul Jones on 07861117678 or by email.
CLICK AN IMAGE ABOVE FOR A SUTTON OAK WELSH CHAPEL PHOTO-ALBUM
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Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel Update
March looks like being a busy month with the resumption of Sunday services conducted by a Welsh minister, plus visits are being planned from welsh choirs and harp players.
Chairman of the society, Paul Jones (pictured above), says that he's in discussion with the ministry team from Wales about holding other services - including funerals - at the old chapel. Paul writes: "I have had a Welsh minister coming to our little church, quite often to bless the building throughout, quite literally nearly every brick of our church."
Paul and his team are also organising welsh classes in the chapel, which will be open to members of the public to attend (details to follow). Improvements have been made to the building, with the sheds at the side of the church having been demolished and it will be widened up for visitors during the summer.
During January the church will be closed on Wednesdays for repairs and painting etc., but they will be open as normal on Fridays.
Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel in Lancots Lane, Sutton
Paul is also planning a "massive revivalist meeting" in the welsh chapel. He's inviting people from St.Helens who are Welsh, or descendants of Welsh families, to come forward. "We are tracing our history back with the chapel you see, they had a big Welsh meeting back in 1904" writes Paul.
Paul and his partner Caroline can be contacted on 07861117678 or 07975586018 or by email. Happy birthday to the Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel Society!
Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel Society Update
As previously mentioned in this blog, the chairman and editor of the Society is Paul Jones. Paul and his fiancée Caroline Owen, who serves as the Society’s secretary, have done much to reopen the building in Lancots Lane and are renowned locally as the couple who saved the last of the Welsh chapels. Paul tells me that the legal formalities of preserving the historic building for the future are expected to be completed later this year.
Paul also writes that the Society will be fully represented at the St.Helens Festival which, of course, is being held this weekend in Sherdley Park. Slideshows, memorabilia and information on the history of the Welsh chapel will be available for visitors to peruse.
Sutton Beauty has recently provided St.Helens Council’s marketing department with high resolution images
Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel Article
Paul has emailed me to say that the next meeting of the Society will be held on Wednesday February 7th at 2pm in the chapel itself, which will also be open to the public. A number of guests from Wales will be attending and a small buffet will be provided. Paul will be making a slide show presentation on the chapel which sounds interesting and I hope to be able to make it myself this time.
Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel Meeting
Mr. Jones writes that the chapel in Lancots Lane has been closed for 2 years and the building has subsequently fallen into disrepair. However, over the next few weeks dedicated members of the Society will be cleaning and repairing the chapel with the intention of holding their committee and public meetings there in February. Church services will resume soon afterwards.
The listed building has some history as it is one of only two structures in St Helens that were made from industrial waste, having been built c.1845. The Society have created their own website which I've added to the links section of Sutton Beauty. I walk past the building regularly and it will be great to see it being used again.
The Welsh Chapel in Lancots Lane, Sutton Oak