As the 80th Anniversary of St George’s occurred in 2005 we thought it would be timely to update the history of the church, continuing on from the first 50 years so ably written up by the late Ted Burks. To this end we asked members of the congregation for the loan of any old Parish Magazines they may have hoarded and received copies of most issues, apart from 1976 when only two magazines were forthcoming.

The September 1976 magazine, which was called Outreach, tells us that Rev Ernest Hepworth was the Parish Priest and the Church Wardens were Frank Barlow and Bill Atkin. Our Organist was Dorrie Webb and the Verger was Dick Taylor. There is also an article about a Family Week held during the week 25 July-1 August. This was led by Sister Christine Goodger and Sister Christine Frazer of the Church Army, assisted by Mr Andrew Entecott, a Church Army Student and also by members of St George’s. A Sung Communion was held on 8 September to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the St George’s Branch of the Mothers Union in this centenary year of the Mothers Union as a whole. The preacher was Mrs Rachel Ollard, the President of the Mothers Union in the . Members of other branches in the Deanery had been invited and a special display was designed by Frank Barlow. Regular Prayer Meetings were held on Friday evenings to which everyone was invited including members of other churches.

The December 1976 magazine records that Alec Parker was elected to serve as Churchwarden in succession to the late Bill Atkin. He was admitted to office on Sunday, 28 November at Family Communion by the Ven David Scott, Archdeacon of Stow. Carol Barker was now the Parish Clerk. St George’s Playgroup was holding a Grand Bazaar 1-2 December in the Greeson Hall. £13 was given to Stonecroft, the Cheshire Home at Barnetby following the sale of Harvest Gifts at St Michael’s and over £8 was raised for Christian Aid at the auction during the Harvest Supper at St George’s. The November Fayre produced a record amount of £439. This was organised by the Social Committee under the chairmanship of Alec Parker and was officially opened jointly by Mrs Barlow and Frank. Gift Day raised £297 which included gifts of £75 and £110 from St George’s and St Michael’s Family Circles respectively. A new group for young people of 11 and over had recently been formed and met on Tuesdays at 6 pm at the Vicarage. Members had been busy preparing an exhibition on the theme “Set My People Free”. The Evening Mothers Union had raised £22 at a Coffee Evening which had been given to St George’s towards the cost of heating the Large Vestry for their fortnightly meetings. A further £10 had been given by the group to the Battered Wives Action Group.

In mid-January 1977 we welcomed our new Youth Leader, Rev David Walker who moved into 100 Dale Street with his wife Chris and two young children, Jenny and Andrew. David had been the Curate of Arnold, Nottingham in the Diocese of Southwell. He was brought up in Leicester, where he worked in local government before ordination. He trained for the ordained ministry at Lincoln Theological College and first came to Crosby as part of his practical training. David’s appointment was a joint one by the Diocese of Lincoln and the Local Authority respectively. He received the Bishop’s General Licence from the at the Family Communion on 13 February.

A Parish Week-end at Diocesan House, Lincoln was booked for 18-20 March. This was to be led by the Rev Harley Moreton and the theme was “The Christian Road”. Members of St John’s congregation, with their Vicar Charles Miller would also be attending. The inclusive cost of the week- end was £7:56. A group of people from St George’s went to The Hollies once a month to lead the elderly people in worship. On 21 February the Social Committee held a coffee evening with entertainment in aid of the Hospital Mammograph Fund. Alec Parker was able to hand over a cheque for £65 to Miss Stringer. The Youth Centre, which was already being used as a classroom, was about to be used as the dining room for Crosby Infants. Building work started on a new nursery school for 2 Crosby. This will be situated at Chatterton Crescent and will be able to take up to 60 children. Mrs Elsie Welch made new lectern and pulpit falls for St Michael’s. They were gifted by Mrs Whitesmith and were green, made of damask type material, and looked very well indeed. The Sewing Group continued to meet fortnightly at Mary Dawson’s home, 19 Normanby Road and was grateful for odd balls of knitting wool, lengths or remnants of material, embroidery, etc.

On 15 March the Jumbulance visited the Guide meeting. The Guides had been busy raising money for this. David Walker reported that the new Senior Youth Club was open on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7:30-10:30 pm. The Junior Youth Club met on Thursday evenings from 6:30-8 pm. Once every two weeks on Monday evenings a Disco was held between 7-10 pm. This was open to all young people over the age of 14.

From Easter Sunday a new hymn book, the Anglican Hymnal, was being introduced. This had been made possible by a generous anonymous gift of £120. On 21 April the Greeson Memorial Hall was used for an Exhibition and Display by the Scunthorpe Home Safety Committee. In April Major E C R Sheffield, the patron of this parish, died. The Vicar was present at his funeral service at Burton. In June a United Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee was held at St Lawrence’s Church and a Silver Jubilee Garden Party was held at St George’s on 25 June. This was opened by the Mayoress, Mrs Eric Arnold and raised £134. Pat Marshall was now the Chairwoman of the Social Committee which organised the event. Dick Taylor was thanked for painting all the church window bars, including those of the large East window. The Worship Committee were congratulated on planning an excellent service for the beginning of Christian Aid Week.

At St Michael’s AGM Elsie Welch was elected as Chapel Warden to succeed Mary Leary who was retiring. Myra Burman was re-elected as Chapel Warden, Enid Maynard as Secretary and Bill Braithwaite as Treasurer. In June the Youth Club took part in a 24 hour table tennis marathon which raised almost £40 for club funds. From September St George’s would be entering a football team in the Scunthorpe & District Intermediate (Under 17) League. Steve Barker, a qualified referee, would be managing the team. On 3 June the children and staff from the Play Group were treated to a Jubilee picnic at Normanby Hall by first year students of the Preliminary Residential Care Course at the Technical College. Some of these students had staffed our Play Group as part of their training.

In October the Mothers Union held a Nearly-New Clothes and Coffee Evening and raised £75 towards the Central Communion Area Fund. On 20 November a Day Conference was held starting with Family Communion at 10:30 am. This looked at certain parts of our mission as Christians and as a Church. The sale of harvest gifts raised £10:30 for Christian Aid. The collection at St Michael’s Harvest Thanksgiving Service and the sale of produce afterwards totalled £13:65 which has been sent to the Gateway Youth Club for the Handicapped.

In November the Youth Club launched two table tennis teams in the Scunthorpe and District Table Tennis League. Both teams are working well. On 26 November the Autumn Fayre was opened by Alec and Kath Parker. The sum of £480 was raised. Hilary Patterson recently took over from Margaret Stirling as 4th Crosby Brownie Guider. She will be assisted by Wendy O’Toole and Pamela Stirling. Our church organist, Dorrie Webb, recently celebrated her 82nd birthday. Those who heard our broadcast on Radio Humberside could not believe that the organist and trainer of the Singing Group was an 82 year old. The Flower Group Coffee Evening raised £23:50 towards the Central Communion area fund. In December Tim Savage and Julie Sanders were congratulated on their recent engagement. Janice Brader took on the job of Secretary of the Council of Churches. Her mother, Elsie Welch is already the Treasurer. 3

January 1978 saw the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity marked with a house meeting for members from St George’s and Centenary Methodist Church at the home of Pat Marshall. A Day Conference on the needs of the young in our neighbourhood was held on 28 January. Various local organisations concerned with young people were invited to attend. Both the Youth Club table tennis teams remained at the top of their divisions and the football team continued to flourish.

In February two church members, Janet Searby and Chris Baker, announced their engagement. David Walker had now been our full-time Youth Worker for 12 months and he appealed for volunteers to come forward to help with the activities and supervision of the young people. Mavis Drury agreed to teach cookery to the Junior Club and David’s wife was able to teach how to make and arrange flowers thanks to Mrs Kath Atkin agreeing to act as baby sitter to the Walker children.

Thanks to the help of Margaret Hepworth and Irene Cordock a sum of £65 had been given to the Central Communion Area Improvement Fund. This had been raised through the sale of Webb Ivory cards and stationery. On 14 March a Coffee Morning, also in aid of this fund, was held at the Parkinson Arms by kind invitation of Mr Frank Barlow.

46 adults and young people from St George’s and St Michael’s and five members from the Church of the Resurrection, Berkley were booked in for the Parish Week-end at Scargill House in April. The Bible Society Service was held at St George’s, followed by tea. Rev Hepworth was the speaker.

In May the Committee for Education and Mission arranged a Stewardship Evening followed by a buffet supper. The speaker was the Rev Michael Ridley. On Ascension Day members from St John’s Church joined us for Holy Communion. To complete the fund raising for the Communion Area improvement a cake stall was held on 13 May. Pat Marshall had organised a coffee morning once again which raised £30 towards this fund and Linda Pollard’s coffee morning raised £17:80 for Dr Barnado’s. At the end of Christian Aid Week members of St George’s led a service on the theme of “As you sow so shall he reap”. We were joined by members of Centenary and some young people from St Paul’s, Ashby. The Youth Club Jumble Sale raised £20 towards club funds.

A Children’s Painting Competition was organised in conjunction with the Annual Garden Party held in June. The Youth Club, Brownies, Guides, Sunday Schools and Playschool children were all invited to take part. The Theme for the competition was a portrait of “My Favourite Person”. The event raised £135 on a very wet afternoon.

At the Finance Committee Meeting it was disclosed that much of the Youth Centre roof and also that of the toilets and vestibule of the Greeson Hall were in urgent need of renewal. A sum of over £2,000 would be needed to complete this work properly. Fund raising for this would dominate much of 1978.

David Walker organised an Adventure Playground for the summer with the help of a full time worker and a group of local residents willing to help on a rota basis. Various fund raising events were organised to raise £100 to buy materials for activities. In July Hilary Patterson appealed for help with the 4th Crosby Brownies and Carol Barker came forward. Sheila Whitefoot had vacancies in the St George’s Playgroup which met in the Greeson Memorial Hall.

A Church outing to York took place in July. After a free afternoon looking round York there was a Holy Communion Service at St Michael-le-Belfry before returning home. 4 August saw the formation of a co-ordinating committee to raise funds for the Youth Centre Roof and fund raising began in earnest. Local clubs and firms, uniformed organisations and the Youth Club had already contributed and several church members gave or loaned sums of money. Steve Barker organised an Auction in September which was very successful and raised £319. Coffee Evenings were organised by both Irene Cordock and Joan Franklin and Anne and Cliff Barnard, raising a total of £75. A Male Voice Choir Concert was also arranged at which Dick and Vi Taylor celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary. £75 was raised for the roof fund. Crosby Junior and Infants Schools raised £113, the St George’s Family Circle raised £121, and Kath Atkin and Chris Walker held a sherry evening and raised £45. The Social Committee added another £14 from the Coffee and Cake Stall. An Exhibition of paintings by Eve Brown was held in November and raised £42. £80 was raised by Vin Bull (Vanessa) and his fellow artists at a show in the Youth Centre which played to a full house. Wee Willie Harrison raised £35 by doing a sponsored walk to Doncaster and back. St Michael’s Family Circle members raised £100.

In September Dorrie Webb retired as church organist after 18 years. At the age of 82 she then joined the Singing Group. Mary Dawson and Dorothy Brooke would now be playing for Sunday worship and funerals and weddings.

Ten young people and one adult were confirmed at St Peter’s Bottesford by the on Sunday 8 October. (Wendy O’Toole, Anita Abbott, Timothy Barnard, Michael Clark, Rebecca Dring, Tracey Green, Adrian Holland, Richard Marshall, Tracey Nicholson, Gerald Taylor and Karen Walker.)

The Faith Sharing Team from St Andrew’s Chorleywood came to organise a week-end conference which was very well received.

St Michael’s Harvest Festival proceeds of £25 were given to the Lindsey Blind Society. The Autumn Fayre raised £430. Dorrie Webb opened this and Bertha Cowood judged the best dressed stall.

Light lunches were being held every other month after Family Communion. The aim was to enable people to spend longer together to enable them to talk while sharing a meal.

By December 1978 the Roof Fund had reached £2,400 and work was well under way.

January 1979 brought the sad news that the Walker family would be leaving Crosby at the beginning of February. David had been appointed Vicar of Scrooby with Ranskill in the diocese of Southwell. During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity everyone was invited to the home of Tom and Jean Witham, the Minister of Centenary Methodist Church and his wife, for supper, fellowship and discussion. It was noted that the cost of the Parish Magazine would have to be increased to 5p and a plea was made for more people to submit articles for the magazine.

In February Carol Barker retired as Parish Clerk as she had taken another job with more hours. She was replaced by Janice Brader who was a member of St Michael’s. Airdrina Main raised £100:16 for the Youth Centre Roof Fund with a Sponsored Piano Play and Margaret Hepworth contributed another £60 from the sale of Web Ivory items.

On Monday evenings there was now a meeting for young people of 11 and over who were members of the Church Family. On Wednesdays there was an open Youth Club for young people aged eight and 5 over. Following David Walker’s departure Barbara Tong was organising the Senior Youth Club and Mavis Drury the Junior Youth Club. Both Clubs had a very good membership.

The Mother’s Union were now holding monthly prayer meetings in the homes of housebound members. A plaque had been fixed on a wall in Mary Sumner Way, off Long Road, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Mothers’ Union. A short ceremony took place on 24 April, followed by tea and biscuits in St Michael’s Church Hall. About 50 people had attended, including Dorothy Woodfield, Diocesan MU President.

During Christian Aid week in May Mrs Lena Lloyd, Area Organiser for Christian Aid spoke at the Family Communion Service on 13 May. She was also a guest at the bi-monthly lunch that followed the service. That same evening the new Bishop of Grimsby, David Tustin, was welcomed at a special service held at St Hugh’s, Old Brumby. Both St George’s and St Hugh’s were invited to celebrate Ascension Day at All Saints, Winterton on 24 May. A team of four St George’s young people, Tim Barnard, Adrian Holland, Michael Clark, and Gerald Taylor, had reached the finals of the Diocesan Junior Quiz.

The church had recently benefited from two gifts from daughters in memory of their mothers, both former members of St George’s who had died recently. A book display case and a portable lectern were given by Alice Woolason in memory of her mother, Alice Woolason, and a gift of £100 had been made by Irene Ayer in memory of her mother, Mrs Goodyear. Also, thanks to the generosity of David and Barbara Tong, who gave the church their former equipment, and the skill of Chris Baker, a stereo system had been installed in St George’s.

June saw the wedding of Chris Baker and Janet Searby. Both Christina Baxter and David Walker assisted the Vicar during the Marriage Service which included Holy Communion.

The July Magazine included a short questionnaire which asked: “What are you doing in the life of the church? And “What would you like to do in the life of the church? This had been issued by the Committee for Education and Mission. It was also recorded that money collected during Christian Aid week amounted to £166:92. On 21 July there was a Parish Outing to Lincoln. This included a conducted tour of the Cathedral, the Treasury, which held the Cathedral Plate, and the Library containing a copy of the Magna Carta. The day ended with Choral Evensong in the Cathedral.

During the first three weeks of August the Youth Centre was used for the Community Relations Council Holiday Playscheme which was open to all children in the Crosby area of five years and over. The Summer Fete had been a great success. As well as raising £226 for the work of the church, it had provided an opportunity for people from the neighbourhood to come together. It had been a joint effort between St George’s, St Michael’s and Crosby Junior School. It was noted that the Vicar was unable to have wet sponges thrown at him owing to wedding commitments! Michael Clark had bravely taken his place.

On 30th September Canon Christopher Laurence preached at St Michael’s at a service which combined Michaelmas and Harvest Festival. On 14 October the Dean of Lincoln, the Very Rev the Hon Oliver Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes preached at St George’s Harvest Festival. 1st Crosby Guides had a new leader, Hilary Patterson. Hilary had taken over from Janet Baker who was continuing to help as Assistant Guider. Mary Oakley took over Hilary’s role as 4th Crosby Brownie Guider. Carol Clayton and John Smith were now helping Tim Savage with the Barnes Crescent Cub Pack.

6 The September Magazine included an extensive list of the various groups active in the church: 0-11 years Children from birth to four years were welcome at all services. If parents felt uncomfortable a crèche could be run. Playgroups for two to five year olds were held in the Greeson Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays. There were two Sunday Schools for children aged four and over, one on a Sunday morning in the Greeson Hall run by Mavis Drury and one on a Sunday afternoon in the Church run by Irene Cordock. Cub Scouts (8 to 11 years) met on Mondays at the Scout H Q on Barnes Crescent. Their leader was Tim Savage. Two Brownie Packs (7 to 11 years) met in the Youth Centre, one on Tuesdays lead by Mary Oakley and one on Wednesdays led by Diana Richards. The Junior Youth Club (3 to 11 years) met on Wednesdays and was led by Mavis Drury. 11+years The Scout Troop met on Fridays at the Scout HQ, Barnes Crescent. The leader was Ray Parker. The Guide Company met on Tuesdays in the Youth Centre. The leader was Hilary Patterson. The Young People’s Group met on Mondays in the Youth Centre. The leader was Margaret Willison. The Senior Youth Club met on Wednesdays in the Youth Centre, led by Barbara Tong. All Ages House groups: small informal groups met in homes for Bible study, discussion, prayer and fellowship. Congregational lunches were held in the Greeson Hall every other month after Family Communion. There was a Prayer Meeting on Wednesday evenings in church. The Mothers’ Union had two groups; one met on the second Wednesday afternoon of the month in the Greeson Hall, leader Linda Pollard, and one met fortnightly on Tuesday evenings in the Large Vestry, leader Margaret Hepworth. The Fellowship met on Wednesday evenings in the Large Vestry, leader Sylvia Charlesworth. Family Circles met on Wednesday afternoons in the Large Vestry at St George’s, leader Madge Smales, and on Monday evenings at St Michael’s, leader Olive Stephenson. The Singing Group run by Dorothy Brooke met on Monday evenings in Church. There was a Senior Citizen’s Lunch Club which met on Tuesdays at 12 noon and Thursdays at 12:30 pm in the Greeson Hall. The contact for these was Mary Dawson.

The vestibule, toilets and the outside of the Greeson Hall had a face lift during the summer. This was co-ordinated by Dick Taylor. In October an anonymous gift of £20 for the Roof Appeal fund was put through the Vicarage door. As the work on the roofing of the Youth Centre and Vestibule had been paid for, this gift would be the first towards other work which had been identified as the Civil Engineer had expressed concern at the condition of the south east corner of the Large Vestry. The St George’s Family Circle made £75 at a coffee morning and donated £25 of this to the cost of repairing the vestry window and corner. The sale of Harvest produce at St Michael’s raised £25 for the Save the Children fund and the £12 raised at St George’s went to Christian Aid.

Canon Christopher Laurence led the Parish WE at Bishop King House, Lincoln in November just prior to his leaving for a new job as Bishops’ Director of Clergy Training for the Diocese of London. The Singing Group had stopped meeting as the numbers were too small to undertake the musical work they liked to do. The Social Committee thanked everyone who helped make the Autumn Fayre a success, £420 was raised.

The Sunday Schools and the Brownies raised over £70 for the Blue Peter Appeal for Kampuchea at their Bring and Buy in December, when they also sang carols for those who present. Thanks to the St George’s Family Circle and the Mothers’ Union, who each gave £5, a cheque for £83 had been sent.

A total of £91:35 was sent to the Children’s Society as a result of the Christingle Service.

7 The January 1980 Magazine cover was the first of a series designed by Gordon Stowell and produced by the Bible Lands Society. The Week of Prayer for Christian unity was celebrated in conjunction with the Centenary Methodist Church and Holy Souls Church with an evening event in the Greeson Hall which included food, offerings, music, poetry, etc.

Thanks to a gift from the daughter of the late Gertrude Goodyear and a bequest from the late Vera Phillips, enough Good News Bibles were obtained for everyone to use during worship. These were a splendid memorial to two long-standing members of St George’s and a most useful “tool” for the church. The sewing group continued to meet fortnightly at the home of Mary Dawson.

In March the Rev Hepworth announced that the Bishop of Lincoln had asked him to go to Barton-on- Humber as Vicar of the parish church of St Mary. He was the last incumbent to live in the old vicarage. The family moved to Barton at the end of May.

Tim Savage and Mavis Drury made an urgent appeal for more helpers for the two Youth Clubs.

At the Annual Church Meeting held in April, Frank Barlow, Chairman of the Finance Committee, warned that with inflation running at its present level our basic housekeeping as a church, including our contribution to the Diocese and Church Commissioners, would mean an extra £1,600 on the expenditure of last year. Frank Barlow and Alec Parker were re-elected as Churchwardens but unfortunately Alec Parker died shortly afterwards. Cliff Barnard was elected to take his place.

A group from St George’s and St Michael’s attended a Renewal Day at Skellingthorpe which was led by Rev Dr Dennis Ball on the theme “The God who cares”. The Barker family hosted a group of people who met regularly for prayer, bible study and fellowship at their home on Ferry Road.

The Crosby Summer Fete was held on 28 June in Crosby School Playground and was opened by the Mayoress. This year the children’s competition involved making an animal from a fruit or a vegetable. There was also a competition for all ages to see how many different items could be put into a small matchbox.

In August an editorial group comprising Madge Smales, Effie Marshall, Sarah Duffield and Sylvia Bibb was formed to be responsible for the Parish News. On 27 September five people from the Parish were confirmed in .

Frank Barlow wrote that on 22 October 1980 it would be 25 years since he was licensed as a Diocesan Lay Reader. This took place in the Angel Choir of Lincoln Cathedral during Evensong. Maurice Harland, the Bishop of Lincoln, performed the ceremony. He had already been active taking services in the Deanery for almost two years. This was possible with a temporary licence because it took almost three years to complete the examinations.

St George’s Church Harvest Festival was a two day event on 11 and 12 October. The theme was “talents” and there were displays in church of produce, cakes, handicrafts, flowers, etc for public viewing. The Harvest Service was held on the Sunday evening, followed by a Pie and Pea Supper in the Greeson Hall.

In December Frank Barlow wrote that he was delighted to inform everyone that Gordon and Lesley Sleight and their two children would occupy the new vicarage from the end of February 1981. It was noted that the cost of the magazine would have to increase to 6p in January.