043 Chapter 43

(Illustrations: Young people from St Luke’s Parish Church; the church itself and the Lady Chapel)

We, as a family, have such special memories of St Luke’s Parish Church in Wallsend. My mind goes straight back to the mid seventies, when many young married couples with families attended every single week, all at one with older members, and all so close in fellowship with one other.

I think of Peggy Dixon, a pillar of the church and head of the Mother’s Union, who was a crusader in welcoming children, ‘Suffer the little children,” Jesus said, “and let them come to me!” she would quote. She wasn’t afraid to speak out against a vicar’s strict baptism policies!

I think of those kind women who served in the crêche, and in Sunday School, so that many of us young parents could worship.

I recall one child who was rather lively, who ran into church one Sunday, not looking where he was going, and ran straight into an elderly lady who was genuflecting in the aisle. There was an audible intake of breath by an entire congregation in shock, as she stumbled forward!

She wasn’t hurt thank goodness!

I think of a much-loved man called Harry, who was deaf, and at a meeting of the church council, he on one occasion spoke out with real concern. The PCC committee had been discussing the possibility of ‘ashing’ folks at the next Ash Wednesday service, and he expressed disbelief that they could even consider ‘lashing’ anyone! (I’m quite deaf too now, and could easily make such a mistake!)

The young people’s group was strong, and many of them went away on holidays to a retreat centre in Seahouses each year, which was run by the vicar, youth leaders and parent volunteers. (see the illustration)

Families of all ages also attended the Shepherd’s Dene Retreat house, at Riding Mill, each year, and we ate some delicious home cooked meals there; we worshipped together, had Bible study, recreation periods, and shared visions for our church’s future. It was affordable too, and we had such a good time there.

I remember one friend, on dishwashing duty with us in the kitchen one evening, who kept adding the dishes we’d already cleaned and dried, to ones that needed to be washed, and as we chatted, none of us realised we were doing them thrice over, we were so absorbed in conversation! That’s Peter Maughan for you! (ably assisted by Judith)

Not only did we have a Mother’s Union at St Luke’s, there was also a Young Wives club, and a snooker club at the men’s institute, where games were taken very seriously, and winners’ names were recorded on a special board.

There was great sense of pride too when our Sunday worship was filmed one week for BBC’s Songs of Praise. 

We went Christmas Carol singing at the doors of the elderly or sick who couldn't get to church at Christmas.

We laughed a lot back then too. Fr Heywood encouraged us to organise concerts, with the help of each of his curates, each year, which were performed in the church hall, so the congregation were treated to funny sketches, community singing and once even a ballet by a group of men in tutus and big boots.

One really funny sketch stands out in my mind from that time, when one of our curates, Fr Ian dressed up as a big baby, sporting a ginger wig on under a bonnet with a dummy in his mouth. He kept looking at each of his parents in turn, as they argued about what to call him at his baptism. Each one took it in turn to suggest names.

“Oh just let’s call him Peter!” one said after a while.

The baby took out his dummy and said, “You’ll call me Father Heywood!” 

(The vicar always insisted on being called Father!)

It was so good to be able to poke fun at each other.

Bob and I attended church at St Luke’s for over twenty years, as our family grew up, and these were very special years indeed. Attendance figures were high, and after Holy Communion on a Sunday morning, everyone met for tea and coffee in the hall, where everyone caught up with each other’s news, and where newcomers to church were also made welcome. Fr Heywood was a faithful and devoted priest. I grew to admire him for that.

Every morning he would be in his study, praying and doing admin work, and every single afternoon, he’d be out visiting his flock, and following up those missing from Sunday worship. I’m sure he must have kept a secret register! 

He was a man with deep principles and firm beliefs, and a lot of his teaching focussed upon the centrality of the Eucharist in worship.

He had always been very much set against the movement to ordain women as priests, and many among his congregation agreed wholeheartedly with him. I was one of them at one time!

Strangely enough, throughout his years in ministry at Ashington, then Wallsend, there were five women in total who responded to a call to ministry; one became a lay reader and four became priests, which must have grieved him! Just as many men became priests too during his years in office, I mustn't give the impression of course that there were only women.

In 1990, Fr Heywood moved to Belford Parish Church, and one of his protégés Fr John Inge, (currently Bishop of Worcester), became vicar of St Luke's in his place; Fr Sam Wells became his curate.

We were so blessed by their ministry with us; their preaching and teaching was excellent, their love for us all was genuine, worship was meaningful and clubs, concerts, pantomimes, retreats, all that made up life at St Luke’s continued smoothly in their capable hands.

They both were exceptional young priests.

However, in the 1990’s the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood was coming to the fore . . .