135 years to the day after the original foundation stone was laid, the Mayor of Harrogate, Councillor Les Ellington, laid the foundation stone for the new extension to St Peter's Church, Harrogate. On the very windy afternoon of Monday 3rd October, members of St Peter's congregation, the clergy, the architect, head teachers and representatives of local schools and organisations met at St Peter's to witness the laying of the stone which was also blessed. The warm breeze seemed to suggest the breath of the Spirit giving new energy to the church, both the building itself and the living stones - the people. This project, which has been some years in the shaping, is going to bring exciting new opportunities for worship and community service to St Peter's. There will be new meeting rooms, a hall and facilities for people with disabilities on three levels, new kitchen and cafe areas in the church and a new entrance and welcome area with space for exhibitions. The whole interior of the church has been cleaned and light now floods into the building from the west end, where the once rather forbidding doors have been opened up to create an entrance which gives visibility and better access from the street. Watch this space - all will be revealed in a few short weeks as the congregation hopes to be back in the building for Christmas, enjoying their re-ordered space. This ambitious project will provide much better scope for the many activites at St Peter's including their breakfasts and cafe style-services, as well as creating extra space for new ventures. For those of you who have wondered why the sub station next to the church has recently taken on a strangely incomplete new look, all will become clear once the new extension is in place. These photos are courtesy of Steve Martin who was recording this very significant stage of the project - we wait with bated breath to see the completed project. The architect is Stephen Calvert of Pearce Bottomley Architects.
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| Pictured here are the Mayor and Mayoress, The Vicar, the Revd Tony Shepherd and Church Wardens John and Patricia Stableford |
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