Waking Up St Mary’s
By Stephen Bullamore (Director of Music)
“Challenge Anneka” was regular viewing in my teenage years. Anneka Rice was set a series of seemingly impossible challenges each week, building a play area, resurfacing a road, building a pool for orphaned seals and so forth. And so in the middle of December, there was a strong sense of déjà vu. As a church, we found ourselves with one week to move out of our temporary homes in the Mount School, Hope Community Methodist Church and elsewhere.
On December 14th the challenge began. Following the services that morning the sound system and many other items from the Mount School and the Methodist Church were removed and taken to St Mary’s. Those involved gained a certain nervous energy. The hoarding at the West end of the church hid a person-sized hole in the forecourt, there were internal doors still to be hung, bare wires emerged from holes in the platform. The dust that wasn’t hanging in the air covered all surfaces with a thick layer; we fought to find clean homes for the things we had brought in.
The week passed with the church as a hive of activity. The professional cleaning team set to work with removing high level dust and cobwebs, some of which surely dated back to the turn of the century, if not the turn of the previous century. The contractors worked frantically to fill in holes, hang doors, attach soap dispensers, test new heating and electrical systems (have you noticed our main door now opens automatically?!). With much publicity surrounding our return to worship on 21st December, postponement or failure was not an available option.
The office printer worked overtime, preparing Orders of Services to welcome over 1,000 people through the Christmas period. The concept of “days off” for staff became an aspiration to be filed under New Year’s Resolutions for 2026. An army of volunteers, captained by the indomitable Rita McCall BEM, sorted, dusted, polished and chivvied each other along, determined to make the building safe and welcoming.
The organ, sheathed in plastic for thirteen months, was unwrapped and brought back to life (well, quite a lot of it, anyway). The band worked into Friday evening, exploring the possibilities offered by the new AV connections. Choristers alternated singing carols in the marketplace with cleaning and rehearsing. Staff were briefed on heating controls, lighting controls, fire alarm systems, CCTV. A Bishop, a Priest and Churchwarden (is this the start of a joke?) were photographed polishing the Eagle of St John in preparation for the delivery of the Word of God.
Saturday 20th December. Stray work boots hidden, toilet rolls stocked, forecourt pressure washed, coffee pots prepared. By 10pm we were as ready as we could be.
Sunday 21st December. What a joy! Across the three services, hundreds of people came to worship. The first words of the liturgy? “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God.”