We are rapidly coming to the unexpected end of our own involvement in the main story of the progress of the Harold Road Development which was now being led efficiently by the House Committee and Greg. We had been working for nearly four years on reopening (and then rebuilding) a rejected building so that it could still be of relevant use, intending all the time to hand it over to others so that we could carry on pioneering new ventures in this exciting new field of change.  We were now finding that it was not just the young men who were being challenged to move on into other fields, but this was happening to us too. But wasn’t this what we had ben called to do? 

When we had started this specific Project with the MSC eighteen months earlier I was fully committed and had expected to be involved in extending the community and its influence even wider in the years ahead.  During the major part of this building project itself, neither we or anyone else had been aware that we would not be around to carry it forward ourselves or even to enable others to do so albeit with our support, but one of the principles we were developing was that of enabling others and dropping into a supporting role.  As we look back, within the wider nature of things, we were grateful that we were able to stay through to the completion of this specific section of the project and now needed to hand on the baton. 

Settling on a June Opening 

During the final stages the adjoining building had had a number of events taking place in the hall which included a Polling Day for the 1978 May Elections which went off smoothly and brought even more people onto the premises. But the community had been looking forward to the opening day in June for what must have seemed a very long time and had needed to revise and change their own longer-term plans frequently.  Following these most recent changes, although the building team would now still be on site until the end of July, a number of them started to be even more fully involved and bring this extra resource into full use.  

The House Committee recognised very quickly that one event would not be sufficient!  There were so many new areas now opening up and also different types of celebration being planned, it was agreed that to do it all justice, it would need to be over a whole week!  Greg took control and got everybody involved by coordinating the community involvement so that every part could be on display during the week and brought into regular use as soon as possible afterwards.  Everybody became involved and we had badges and car and window stickers made with the newly agreed logo which everybody displayed and used for the weeklong grand opening from 18 – 23 June 1978 – and the new logo started to appear on programmes and on posters.  

A whole week was comparatively easy to plan to include activities involving all members of this diverse, but growingly united, community who also helped publicise it and bring many more others from the locality in, in various ways. 

Harold Road Herald 

There was a special16 page edition of the Harold Road Herald giving an excellent overview - it was photocopied onto coloured paper and cost just 5p but containing adverts from local well-wishers.  Greg’s editorial concentrated on the missions and unions, the ups and downs of the historic Christian community leading up to the building of the existing church building in 1903 and its adjoining hall post war in 1958 – each responding to the needs of the time.  

Among the names of those who were key to the work prior to the Renewal Programme taking possession which had only been a mere four years ago, had been Miss Winnie Bethell who had not only fought and prayed so hard that the Christian work might continue here but had also led a thriving Girls Life Brigade.  An inscribed lectern had been donated by those who remembered her which would be a focal point as the chapel was brought into use.  Fuller details of the programme for each of the seven days were on the centre pages followed by tributes to the current building team – hearing their views on the future of the centre and what they had done to help it come into being. There were interviews with ‘H’ our ‘builder extraordinaire’ and with our longest surviving builder on the team – the one who had a strong Christian faith, a carpenter by trade who had been with us for a year and a month during which time he had a baby whom he brought with him to visit during the opening week.  There was news from all the groups currently meeting and profiles of 2 community volunteers who were leaving that summer. There was a children’s page and an amusing letter to the editor from the Mouse tribe who had set up a Mouse Committee to fight for their rights who were now the ones feeling rejected!!

The Opening Week Itself 

It was a very memorable week for all with full attendance at all the different events drawing in many people from far and wide.   

Rededicating the Church 

Sunday afternoon was the opening rededication service for the whole premises but mainly using the new Chapel and Conference Centre but also relayed by closed-circuit TV into the church hall for the Overspill. The three resident Christian communities who had been meeting at different times in the hall each Sunday each played their part and formed a united choir to lead the worship. Paul dedicated the Miss Bethell Memorial and on behalf of the Renewal Programme, Rev JJ Wright, Vicar of Emmanuel C of E in Forest Gate, Chair of its Executive, rededicated the building, with Cliff as NCRP Director bringing the Message and others playing their part.  A number of local and denominational dignitaries brought messages including Councillor A.J. Hart, the Leader of the Council and also the Chairman of the House Committee William Ford. The Building Team were represented, the Manpower Services Commission were invited, and a number of the boys also joined in and I had a slot making a statement about the Harold Road Centre.  An excellent start to a packed week.

A Week of Celebrations

Monday evening was handed over to the community to put on an exhibition on how the centre had recently developed which Mr Turner had pulled together and this would be on display all week accompanied by Old Tyme dancing and Old Tyme singing with lots of participation and also with demonstrations of both Indian dancing and also Karate from one of the newer groups who were just requesting space - all using modern closed-circuit TV so they could see each other on the small screen.  

Each of the groups had purchased or sponsored their own special tree to plant at the front of the building among the crazy paving stones and a tree planting ceremony took place late afternoon / early on Tuesday evening.  Tuesday and Wednesday evenings were given over to concerts: on Tuesday, there was the ‘Multicultural Swap Shop’ concert with Herbie as MC in the hall with entertainment, music and dancing – a West Indian steel band, Indian music and dances, Olde Tyme and Sequence dancing, country dancing from the local school and a special visit with music items from St Luke’s in Sevenoaks.  

The following day Wednesday was a Christian concert in the evening with local groups like Joint Relay, the Glory Singers, New Horizon and others.    

And then on the Thursday, there were various craft sessions in a Do-It-Yourself evening using the church and the new resources room in the workshop area.  All who came took part and tried their hand at candle-making, silk-screen printing, woodwork, painting, making paper flowers, even playing the guitar alongside a cooking ideas corner and an exhibition of things people had made themselves and where they were willing to teach their skills in this to others. 

All the various mementos were either free or on sale at ridiculously low prices although entry into the popular hydrogen filled balloon race did cost 25p.  The House Committee had debated the inclusion of this and agreed that this was a public proclamation far and wide and was not gambling as they were still keen to observe basic principles. 

And then Friday evening was given over to a young people's open outreach evening in the new Coffee Bar area helped out by the AOG church in Plashet Grove showing filmstrips, playing Christian music and chatting over coffee to all who dropped in and promising to help with making this into a regular occurrence. 

And then on the Saturday, we held a full traditional social evening and entertainment with music, dancing, games and refreshments.  The whole week brought lots of new people in to share in these times of great togetherness. 

More Farewells

The following day Sunday 25 June the church in Wakefield Street officially said farewell to Cliff and me and our farewell to the Renewal Programme took place at Trinity Community Centre on Monday 17 July. 

In between, on Sunday 1 July 1978 Cliff had been inducted to Highbury Congregational Church in central Cheltenham who were excited at providing a home and base for us and the family in their Church Manse so we could carry out the new national work in exchange for some Sunday preaching and some pastoral cover.   But then suddenly the original national role we were going to fulfil, stimulated by the Archbishop, became slightly more limited now being part of the Evangelical Alliance   We would now be carrying out a joint appointment to call a National Congress on Evangelism for the EA in early 1980.  Cliff travelled down to preach there each Sunday during July, accompanied by the family most weeks so that we could get to know our new community, and we were due to start seriously in this new task in the September but during this time, we also made other day visits to set up a change of schools for our twelve- and sixteen-year-olds, attended church meetings and we just got to know a new set of people before we actually moved.  

We also still needed to clear and sell our home in Shelley Avenue East Ham as well as seeing the Harold Road Development project through to as much completion as we could.  We eventually made the physical move during the last week in August and two weeks later held an Open Day in the Manse (which backed onto our new church) when we were joined by a full coach and cars with our friends from Newham.

Completing the Work

Opening the rebuilt church and ‘saying a last farewell’ to our building team did not mean that the Project was completed - not even this particular section! We had already made arrangements that the Maintenance group of the House Committee would take over arranging for, or actually carrying out, the small amount of any incomplete building work and its maintenance and had compiled a long list of further work that needed to be done – some of them rather wishful thinking.  

As an outcome of the project some new actions were added – such as the new refuse containers and a new water meter, the distribution and management of the many keys to those who would need access, ensuring that manuals were in use justifying the use of the new donated organ and the more modern equipment, replacing borrowed coffee bar tables with our own which had been put on order - and so on.  Greg drew up with me a comprehensive list of items that still needed to be solved and we arranged to have a final informal handover and answer any further questions raised at the end of August; so having a maintenance section composed of a number of volunteers with these skills already in place and linked through the House Committee was a Godsend.  They were coping with change remarkably well – even to settling for mixed voluntary and paid roles as the centre now warranted a regular cleaner. 

Final Audit 

Halfway through the Opening Week celebrations, I received a reminder that not only did the Manpower Services Commission need a final full summary overview of the project for their records, but we also needed to complete the audit of the £50k+ salaries they had paid for - the audit should also include the £1,650 funds maximum for other costs and the MSC needed to be refunded an agreed figure on any equipment or unused materials acquired wholly or partly – now selling them if necessary.  

This was when we thanked God that we had used the minimum of the other costs funding in this way. Obviously, apart from giving them full details of the professional firm undertaking the audit and chasing up any who had not yet sent in their invoices for materials, the main coordination could only be completed after we had moved on, and as I remained the sponsor, all the records came with us to Cheltenham. Alf Wilmore, our Treasurer, once again proved invaluable. Although he, himself, was now living in Leigh on Sea, he had appointed others in the Finance Department to complete this.  

This was all going on, while I was involved in the initial actions of setting up a whole new rather different national project in another part of the country – there not being enough spare space in Cheltenham church who were hosting us, we found a disused school by the railway line which we took over for two years and called it the Church Growth Centre!! It would not be until after the 1980 National Congress that we would return to the London area and then we would be located in the Harrow area which enabled easier travel around the country.  

Between Cheltenham and Leigh on Sea, we enabled the Newham MSC Audit to be completed satisfactorily before the year end and helped the new staff in the Renewal Programme to sort out any problems and understand the whole venture 

Interestingly, the records show that the new members of staff dealing with finances in both Harold Road and the Renewal Programme were still calling on me for further advice and help over a rather longer time period than we had intended.  

One such incident they had had to deal with was in the following year when, the consultant who had done such a good job for us on the suspended ceiling using tinfoil, ran into financial difficulties with his firm and his family went onto welfare benefits.  The Inland Revenue were not happy that he had done work for us at a reduced rate and wanted to dock the extra off his welfare which was very distressing!  But equally devastating to the community was that the exciting new invention of tinfoil we had seen as our answer to prayer, was still in its trialling stage and needed replacing in a couple of years.

Incidentally we were even having correspondence about the accounts until well into 1982 when some of the bank accounts were finally closed by which time we were living back in London – but in Harrow in West London near the M1 rather than in the East End where travel links were still very limited!  

Christmas 1978

We were so sorry to leave it to others to deal with all these problems as we had expected to be able to see these all though and remain in Newham for the rest of our lives.  We were praying that they were reaping a good harvest from all the seed that we had helped sow.  So we were delighted to receive a copy of a Special Christmas Issue of the Harold Road Herald that year in the post. It reassured us that everybody was rallying around, relationships were excellent and the House Committee arrangements for managing the future running and maintenance were all flowing well.  We had successfully passed the baton on, even though it had been rather more hurried than we would have liked.  Greg was doing a great job, and the Herald made an excellent read and brought me up to date on all that had been happening in the new Centre since we had moved away. It was great to read of the many new groups and individuals who, having been interviewed by the active administration section of the House Committee, had now joined the Community. There were now over 20 groups using the centre on a regular basis, compared with only 8 or 9 when space in just the hall had been more limited two years earlier. 

Growth 

The programme of activities for all ages was now much fuller. The coffee bar was manned and open every morning with a team of six of the more senior citizens (including one man!) and plans were proposed to extend the hours as more help became available – this was gradually being achieved on some afternoons with the help of two 17-year-old local girls on the new 6 month Work Experience Programme which had been stimulated by the role we had been piloting to improve employment issues. This had been followed through by the Renewal Programme in preference to any of the other new STEP programmes with MSC. The play group were now back using their renewed facilities every morning with a new Mothers and Toddlers group which was now also meeting on Tuesday afternoons.  

Among the other new groups there was now a group for Asian ladies in addition to the language classes which the Renewal Programme were continuing, the Karate club, the Stallas pop group and a Parents Fellowship. There was a video club, a craft club, a youth club (currently just a meeting and chatting with disco music in the coffee bar but eager to have a games evening when they acquired some table tennis tables1) and an after-school children's club was starting to be held on Thursdays with plans to expand.  Saturdays remained available for united open activities and occasional private-but-related bookings and was being well used.  On Sundays, there was a full programme of activity with the three church groups, from 11 am (and often earlier) in the morning until 10 pm in the evening and there was now also space for them to meet mid-week of which they took full advantage.  

Planning for the Future

The Renewal Programme was well established in the upstairs rooms coordinating the wider work throughout the borough, providing a useful gathering point and their support and advice centre was flourishing.  They continued to affirm and support the House Committee, which was also now being called the Centre Council, who were now in charge of the administration of the whole centre and also continued to have various committee meetings of local people,  

At the Annual General Meeting in October, new committee members were elected and from 1 October Greg Smith became the centre’s first full-time community worker/warden – the Urban Renewal Grant that had been applied for had been successful.  He was employed by the Centre Council on a one-year contract subject to review after nine months. 

Although the Audit had by this time long been completed, donations were still coming in, and with the transfer of gifts that had been given for the remaining work on the rebuilding, this was giving the centre a good start.  But not only was support of all kinds still continuing to come in, but there were more popular joint Jumble Sales and a Christmas Fayre held in November which had raised some £200 to swell the centre funds.  The Centre was also organising its first Sponsored Walk in West Ham Park which was giving it even more publicity.  

‘Heralding’ the Future

It was interesting to see a growing involvement of the local schools whether it was to visit as part of their religious or general studies or helping with jobs around the centre regularly on Wednesday afternoons.  A number had also opted to come in to help with painting specific unfinished rooms and touching up others during their half term holidays which had been coordinated by the Wright family.  

The local community were pulling their weight – in the Herald a number of people were thanked for their services and others were contributing to the community nature of the publication by sharing articles, jokes, or telling of their hilarious experiences in mastering new skills with the duplicator.  There was even an obituary for the mouse tribe although I do not think the fact that the Centre having adopted two kittens for a time (which were a great success with the children) had helped in their ultimate demise.

The Christmas Herald 1978 reported on the increased joint events taking place in the renewed building such as the uniting successful Harvest Service and Harvest Supper as well as the Remembrance Day Service and it was obvious that the Moravian-inspired Christingle services in the lead up to Christmas would be well attended. 

Among the forward news items, it was great to read that there would also be joint services for Mother's Day as well as a Week of Mission planned by our pastoral team with our friends from Lee Abbey and there would be another visit from Saint Lukes Sevenoaks planned. 

First Birthday July 1979 

We were then delighted to be invited back to celebrate their well-publicised first Anniversary service on Sunday evening 1st July 1979. It was to be their first Birthday in their renewed building complete with a birthday cake and tea in the adjoining hall where we renewed our friendships and personally caught up with all the news and met new groups now part of the community.  We both spoke at the service with Cliff bringing the message and the Friends of the Centre Scheme was launched – but they also unexpectedly unveiled a plaque with my name on it over the coffee bar!!  I remember feeling very touched but also being relieved that if they had felt it important to acknowledge those eighteen months, they had not pinned a plaque to the toilet block which to my mind was of more long-term significance for the future of the centre as it would continue to be of use so much longer!!  

We had missed the first Borough wide Community Festival which had taken place there the previous day with the support of the Greater London Arts Association.  The new centre had hosted and participated in a range of entertainment activities which were rather like a street party held following the war years in bringing the community together. There were set times for dance groups from a local school, Bonny Baby competitions and even the Dovercourt Plaistow Tug of War Challenge Trophy Finals culminating in a Centre concert in the evening when Phil Vickery (a student social worker on placement with the Renewal Programme) and Greg had gone up on the flat roof and let off mega industrial grade fireworks!  These events set the precedent for the future and gave the centre many useful contacts and links. 

Another new unifying venture being explored and coming from sixth formers in Lister School was ‘The Unit’ where those from different ethnic groups and generations could receive support and help and discuss their differences and attempt to make practical changes in society together.  

Further Planned Changes  

It was good both to see and hear of so much change taking place and rejoice in it. But any change always stimulates more change and although we felt that some of the roles we had set in place should now be sustainable, there was inevitably a change and movement of individuals.  

Joan Durke, who had been our wonderful Centre Secretary needed to reduce her involvement for personal and family reasons and Greg was leaving to move on to another part of the borough to work with Fife Road Church.  A part-time replacement had already been found for him and interviewed - David Aschan was expected to take over in the middle of August. Similarly, Paul Baker, another key figure from the Moravian/Methodist Group was relocating to North Yorkshire and was being replaced by Rev Trevor Auty – Paul’s role in the Administration Committee was being taken over by locally-based Danny Lush who had been part of the team for some years. Others were catching the vision – and we were rejoicing that the vision and ethos had been passed on and was being caught and embraced by a new generation. 

A new building as well as an old one, requires maintenance to keep it in good condition and the Maintenance Committee had their hands full but were always expanding with willing volunteers testing out their various skills to provide the best for ‘their’ centre.   It was around this time that one of the rooms was dedicated as the ‘Sevenoaks Room’ with a constant reminder of the support the Centre had received from them in the earliest days.  

The main Outdoor Noticeboard and coffee board signs were already needing some repainting, the leaking hall roof had been repaired and also more plumbing and electrical rewiring, that was needed for the older part of the building, was being planned.  An appeal was out for a bricklayer as the outside boundary wall (not of the building fortunately) was already needing improvements and for a gardener to ensure the bulbs that had been planted were cared for properly.  This grouping would continue to be one of the main sub-divisions of the House Committee – and the most popular as there was much rejoicing that local people often already had the necessary skills among their number and many of the local people could give their support voluntarily in this way. 

Could it All be Really Over? 

Although this may seem the end of the story, from our point of view, it is in fact never ending!   The building may remain as a reminder for many years to come – but the effects of actions taken and policies set in place to benefit the people involved at any specific time, also live on and will be always changing. 

People are more important than buildings – so we will return to the ‘boys’ who were put into our care for such a short time and let you know some of the problems they faced and how they dealt with them.  

Then we will look at my reflections on what had happened in the years in which I was involved in this particular project at Harold Road and then move even wider to note what has happened historically as further changes took place in the next 50 years both in Harold Road and over the years in the East End of London which was also affecting wider society.     

 

 
[1] This reminded me when we had a similar need at Trinity. When we had opened our self-running youth club, the local Kensington Council organized youth club was deserted and they gave us their Table Tennis tables!!  

• 1. This reminded me when we had a similar need at Trinity. When we had opened our self-running youth club, the local Kensington Council organized youth club was deserted and they gave us their Table Tennis tables!!