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It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to appreciate the feelings of the congregation following the tragic fire on Sunday 1st November. No one was seriously hurt in the incident even though it happened during the morning service. The outcome could have been very different had the alarm not been raised when it was.

Work on the fire damaged building started immediately - before the fire brigade had even departed. Windows and doors were boarded up and the building made secure.

The very same day a meeting was held to discuss the way forward and temporary arrangements made for our next service to take place in the village War Memorial Hall. If you weren't there you might be interested in the sermon that was preached at the evening service on Nov 8 th

The following weekend a working party of church members started the task of rescuing as much as possible of the church contents. A task not made easy by boarded up windows and the absence of electricity.

A local resident donated storage space for the large equipment - salvagable tables , chairs, the pianos - and the church members each took home several boxes of smaller items - crockery, clocks, hymn books - to clean up.

                       A small miracle

A Sunday School teacher had left her bag in the schoolroom while she sat with her pupils in Church for the first part of the service. The bag was a nylon shopping bag and in it were her car keys and her deceased husband's bible. Unfortunately the bag was left next to the wooden division at the other side of which the fire started.

The heat of the fire melted two large cold water tanks in the roof space across the hall, cracked all the windows and caused some of the roof supporting girders to twist. No hope then for a nylon bag.

Nevertheless she waited, in the hope that, as the firemen started to clear up, they would find her car keys amongst the ashes. What they actually found astounded us all. The nylon shopping bag was found dirty but unharmed. The bible showed no sign of damage at all.