Christ Church, Eccleston parishioners say goodbye to church hall

The Christ Church hall in Eccleston is set to be bulldozed to make way for the development of seven new homes, with a replacement hall to be created.

On Saturday afternoon (March 30), vicar Reverend Sonya Doragh and the parish celebrated the long life of their church hall and say goodbye.

A short service was held, along with fun activities including crafts and a barbecue.

The service included prayers, a reading from the Book of Ephesians and the Our Father.

And Rev Sonya was brave enough to put herself in the stocks to receive a good soaking from some precise sponge throwers.

The hall has a history as part of the community stretching back more than 80 years to 1936, with a reference to the hall made in 1938 when the vicar of Eccleston, Reverend Edward Lomax produced a 27-page booklet ‘One Hundred Years of Work and Witness’ to celebrate the centenary of Christ Church.

Over the years the hall has been the setting of many cherished memories and numerous long married couples in Eccleston first met at an event or club hosted at the church hall.

Meanwhile, badminton players of a certain age will be able to recall when the St Helens finals took place at the hall.

Rev Sonya said: "It was heart-warming to see so many families represented at the goodbye to our old church hall.

"Some that were part of the history of the hall and some, with younger children, that will hopefully fill the future hall we are soon to build with laughter and memories.

"We held a short, prayerful service to mark this ending, set among craft activities, BBQ and enjoying the memorabilia brought by many, there was a poignant mixture of tears and laughter."

She added: "There were also screams from me as one or two locals are a very good shot and my time in the stocks was popular with some!

"A huge thank you to all those involved in running the event and all those that were part of making the hall and activities in it such an asset to the community over the years."