Author: Geoffrey G

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Victorian Society in America Summer School Visit

On Monday afternoon 4th July, twenty two members of the Victorian Society in American Summer School visited the Church and Schools Rooms. This was their third venue of the day, following a hard hat tour of the Manchester Town Hall and the Victoria Baths.

They were relieved to soak in the atmosphere of the church and enjoy refrehments before looking around the building and learning about importance of the architecture of Edgar Wood.

The email received following their visit is as follows:

Many thanks to you and your colleagues at Long Street for hosting today’s visit for the Victorian Society in America, and also for your warm hospitality. The visit was greatly appreciated, and it was an eye-opener for the whole group to see such a masterpiece. They had not heard of Edgar Wood before, but now they will be spreading his fame. While I have visited the building before it is always such a delight to experience . What a wonderful architect he was!
With thanks and best wishes,
Ken

 

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To Celebrate 70 Years

The Sunday service (June 5) starts at the usual time of 11.00am. To celebrate the Queen’s 70 year reign, at the end of the service there will be a shared lunch. Everyone is welcome whether you bring a shared item or not.

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It’s Gardening Time Again

It’s Spring and it is time to tidy up the garden. Not only are the weeds and grass  growing, but the broken brick seems to multiply as well. In the 1970’s the ‘flower beds’ were covered with crushed brick, this was to make for easy maintanence. Twenty years on and the lawns and flower beds were reinstated. The brick was covered with several inches of soil, this would make for good drainage! However, the action of the weather and frosts bring a yearly crop of crushed brick back to the surface.

The yearly harvest of broken brick
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The Head of the Edgar Wood Academy Visits

The Headteacher of the Edgar Wood Academy, Mr. Marcin Kojder, visited the home of the Edgar Wood Society at the Long Street Methodist Church and Edgar Wood Rooms today. The Society and school wish to forge closer links, which was obvious from the informative and pleasant chat throughout the visit. The school at the moment is in temporary classrooms on the Hopwood College Campus with a year 7 intake. The school, which is under construction in Bowlee, is to be fully opened in September 2022 and we look forward to the pupils being inspired by the achievements of Edgar Wood, Middleton’s ‘remarkable architect’.

The Society wish Mr. Kojder, his staff and pupils, a successful year ahead.

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85.25 Kg Weight of Food Donated to the Food Bank

Two charities were supported at the  Harvest Service on Sunday 3rd October.

A pew collection in aid of the Methodist supported charity, All We Can and for tinned and dried food for the local food bank at the Lighthouse Project based in Middleton.

To Long Street Methodist Church : Email from the Lighthouse Project
Thank you for your kind donation yesterday. It will help a lot of our Foodbank users in these ever increasing difficult times.
The weight donated was 82.25kg and I’m sure there will be more donations from your congregation and other generous people.
I will keep a check on the donations we receive from yourselves and give you the total weight after the Harvest Festival has ended.
Many Thanks
Sue Jackson
Project Coordinator – Foodbank & Pantry
The Lighthouse Project, unit S6 b/c Middleton Shopping Centre, Limetrees Road, Middleton, M24 4EL
Tel: 0161 643 1163
The Lighthouse Project is a community work of Inspire Middleton registered charity 1126093

 

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Heritage Open Days Come to a Close for Another Year

The Church and School Rooms were open for five half days during this year’s HODs, attracting both local and visitors from the wider region. The walk around the Conservation Area and the Edgar Wood properties on Sunday 12th September was over subscribed. A pre booked group of 22 were divided into two groups and starting in opposite directions. The walk will be repeated in Spring 2022, so send an email if you wish to be informed of details nearer to the time (edgarwoodsociety@gmail.com).

Visitors from Chorley were delighted by the beauty and ‘simplicity’ of the carving on the lectern base.
Rose carving on the lectern base

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edgar Wood Society volunteer guides fold up the banner for another year.
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Visit the ‘Arts & Crafts Church’ on Heritage Open Days

Visit Long Street Methodist Church and the adjacent Edgar Wood Rooms to see the finest Arts & Crafts building in Greater Manchester. Guides will be on hand to answer any questions.

Friday 10 September 1 – 4pm        Sunday 12 September 1 – 4pm  

Sunday 12 September 2pm  Leaving from the Church at 2pm a guided walk around the Conservation Area to view 9 listed buildings in the ‘Golden Cluster’. For full details: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/event/a-guided-walk-around-middleton-conservation-area
Wednesday 15 September 1 – 4pm

Friday 17 September 1 – 4pm        Saturday 18 September 1 – 4pm

 

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Re-pointing of the Chimney Begins

Three working platforms are needed reach the top of the chimney.

David from Conservation Services North West, is in charge of the chimney repointiong and was smiling yesterday morning from the top platform of the scaffold. Blue sky and sun is a bonus of late and the weather is going to be settled for the next few days.

 

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Scones, Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam

The first event in the Arts and Crafts Church hall (Edgar Wood Rooms) since the easing of the lockdown, organised by the Edgar Wood Society was a cream tea this afternoon. The hall was set up and awaiting the first guests at 2.00pm.

Will the tables soon be occupied?
We were not disappointed
The guests were not disappointed either
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The First Live Service Since 15th March 2020

The gates were opened and It was good to be back for a service at Long Street although with a difference, for the first service in the building since 15th March, 2020.

To make easier to comply with covid protocols, the service was held in the hall of the Edgar Wood Rooms. The atmosphere was different, but a success all the same and will be repeated again next week. If you would like to book a seat phone 0161 6530512.

 

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Up, Up and Away

Laurie of RescueStationCIC had  a 7.00am  drone flight from the garden on Tuesday 23rd June. Conditions were ideal, the air was still and the sky was blue.  The ground crew were briefed and had their instructions to inform passers by that they were within a 50 meter radius of the flight. The filming was on behalf of the Heritage Trust North West, a closely associated Trust who provide services for the GMBPT.

Attached to the drone is a 360 degree camera.

The filming of Long Street Methodist Church and the Edgar Wood Rooms will feature on the HTNW web site together with other heritage property in the HTNW’s portfolio.

Draw a line vertically above Laurie and you should spot the drone.
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Services on Zoom Continue

The church gates were decorated yesterday for Pentecost and the first service since lockdown at Long Street planned for today, unfortunately had to be postponed, so it was back to Zoom.

We now look forward to the first service on the 13th June. Until then the Sunday morning and evening services will continue on Zoom. Details can be found on the Manchester Circuits web site. https://manchestermethodists.org.uk

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A Date For The Diary – 30th March

The fourth and final talk by Dr. Alec Hamilton

The Title is: “Is it or isn’t it? A Field Guide to Arts & Crafts Churches.”

Alec says “It’s my attempt to answer the big question that constantly crops up: “What are the essential characteristics of an Arts & Crafts church?” Also expressed as, “How do I know it’s an Arts & Crafts church when I finally get into it?” (Another popular one is “There is a church near me. It has a Burne-Jones window. Why, oh why, is it not in your book?” And I have a soft spot for “Who was this William Morris bloke anyway

As this fourth talk is for VicSoc, I have to warn you it costs £5 to view. I know. A disgrace. But cheaper than Netflix and Curzon Home Cinema. And shorter. And VicSoc needs the money – rest assured, I do not get a bean. Meanwhile VicSoc has to carry on its work as statutory consultative body on planning matters, and keeping a sharp eye out for buildings under threat, despite the current unpleasantness. Whereas I am a diversion.

You can book here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/141162186901  (And, yes, it was awfully jolly to be asked back. And, yes, this is an all-new talk – 22 churches I have never lectured on before.)

For those of you who find my stern academic rigour intimidating – and quite rightly so: it is – there will be a Quiz at the end. Fun – even for intellectuals.

Leave them wanting more, I say…”

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Dr. Alec Hamilton – Talk on 11th February at 1.00pm

Dear Friends

Hey! Here’s an idea. A talk – but it’s “online”! You know, you watch it through your computer. Yes, I know. What a wacky notion. I bet nobody else has thought of it. It’s so modern.

Heigh ho. One can but try.

So anyhow…

Just in case you can’t spend nearly enough time looking at a screen, here’s more.

I am doing a talk (entirely new) on 11 February which may interest you.

It’s for the CCT (Churches Conservation Trust), and titled: ’Dreams, Distractions and Destruction: Britain’s lost Arts & Crafts Churches’.

It is at lunchtime: 1 p.m.

The talk is free and open to all. If you are interested, you can sign up here: https://www.facebook.com/events/147756693521434

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Long Street may be closed but not the Church community

Following a water burst last week, on Friday the damaged surface was being removed (revealing some of the original stone sets). Although the Church remains closed (Covid) details of online services can be found on the web site www.manchestermethodists.org.uk

On Monday 18th January starts A Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2021.  For resources follow the link, https://manchestermethodists.org.uk/a-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2021/

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Lecture – 1900: Lions and Lambs – the Irresistible Rise and Bashful Demise of the Arts & Crafts Church

Alec Hamilton author of the recently available book ‘Arts and Crafts Churches’, published and  available from  Lund Humphries, gave an excellent lecture last evening for the SAHGB (Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain).  With over 400 illustrations taken from churches across the country, showing a wealth of both variations and similarities of what can be said to be examples of the Arts and Crafts Church.

The ‘icing on the cake’ for me was the mention of, and images of Long Street Methodist Church, together with the plug for the website www.artsandcraftschurch.org

A recording of a previous talk by Alec on ‘Arts and Crafts Churches’ is available on the Victorian Societies website www.victoriansociety.org.uk or try the link Arts & Crafts Churches – Crowdcast

 

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It’s That Time of Year Again

Formerly the infant classroom facing onto Long St. photo taken 28 Oct. 2020

The leaves are falling and filling the gutters and hoppers. If they are not cleared it could result in water ingress and damp. I am pleased to say these leaves were cleared today.