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St John's, Sparkhill

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gham

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Anyone have knowledge or memories of this church? I was baptised here in 1942. Perhaps you were another baby at the same time there-I know 3 or 4 were baptised on the same day...:)
 
Thanks to John70 and jennyann. I was going to post that link, jennyann-so double thanks.Where's Blackford Road? I paid a short visit recently to St Johns and met the vicar and a helper in the Office there. He was very busy doing hands-on floor repairs himself-it was 120 years' anniversary of the church, I think that's what it was. The church is a handsome one; it is very active with youth and charitable work. I wasn't able to attend the anniversary party but St Johns is well worth a visit.:)
 
gham said:
Thanks to John70 and jennyann. I was going to post that link, jennyann-so double thanks.Where's Blackford Road? I paid a short visit recently to St Johns and met the vicar and a helper in the Office there. He was very busy doing hands-on floor repairs himself-it was 120 years' anniversary of the church, I think that's what it was. The church is a handsome one; it is very active with youth and charitable work. I wasn't able to attend the anniversary party but St Johns is well worth a visit.:)
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Blackford Road is off Baker Street.
 
Baker Street has sad memories for me-my father suffered a heart attack there and subsequently died an hour or so later at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. We were on a car journey from Oxfordshire to Saltley at the time. All this a stone's throw from St John the Evangelist Church...the year was 1951, December.:(
 
My Dad (George Crathorn) and my Mom Olive (nee Maisey) were married at the church on 1st July 1944. My sister, Lynda was baptised there in 1945. Dad was serving in the RAF at the time and took leave to get married.

Best regards

Steve Crathorn
 
My mom and step dad married there too in 1948. It must have been a beautigul place in those days. I visited last year and also spoke to the project manager, it seems they are desperately trying to keep it upright. God help them.
 
My school pal Paul Matthews was married there in 1958 I was his best man, both he and his wife were serving in the RAF.
 
My mother and father were married there in April 1932, I and my brother were both baptized there. I was born in Castleford Road my brother in Roderick Road. All of my fathers family ( Dalby ) and my mothers ( Gwynne ) where born in Sparkhill. My grandfather George Amos Dalby ran a garage in Bakers Street near Blackford Road.
 
Hello gham,

I was baptised at St Johns Sparkhill in September 6th 1942 by Rev Jackson I still have the St Johns War Time Leaflet with the baptisms from July to Sept with the names of the baptisms in...if you were baptised at that time maybe your name is there? my parents were married there in 1927.

Pat
 
I regularly attended St John's, firstly at Sunday school in the church hall in Ivor Road on Sunday afternoons and then in the vestry when they had Family services (we would all troop out before the sermon and back at the end of the service!). I became a Sunday school teacher for some years. I remeber Cannon Jackson and his father who used to come to St John's School to teach us the catechism. I was confirmed by Rev Nock and had my marriage blessed by Rev Lucas in 1976.

Lesley
 
gham said:
Anyone have knowledge or memories of this church? I was baptised here in 1942. Perhaps you were another baby at the same time there-I know 3 or 4 were baptised on the same day...:)
Click to expand...

St John's church is presently having its roof replaced but is still open for worship - Main worship is at 10.30 Sunday morning - if you are in Birmingham why not drop in one Sunday - you will be sure of a warm welcome.

For more information and pictures of the church go to www.stjohnsparkhill.org.uk
 
John Self said:
St John's church is presently having its roof replaced but is still open for worship - Main worship is at 10.30 Sunday morning - if you are in Birmingham why not drop in one Sunday - you will be sure of a warm welcome.

For more information and pictures of the church go to www.stjohnsparkhill.org.uk
Click to expand...
My mother and father were married at St Johns in 1932, I and my brother where baptised there me in January 1933. I lived some of the time with my Grandmother and father in Avon Street, this house still there on Google street level. It was damaged by fire in 1940 and we moved out to Hollywood south Birmingham.
 
I lived in Showell Green Lane, Sparkhill from about 1941 until 1960, then moved to Acocks Green.
Was in the choir at St Johns when the Rev Tetley was the Vicar. Mr Adams was the choirmaster, strict but was a brilliant organist. Remember going on holidays to the Isle of Wight, staying in log cabins at Wootten, with Deconess Elton in charge, also once to Poole where we were in tents.
Some of the names that I remember are, Maurice Rowe, John Bloomfield, Barrie Stokes, Mike Beamish, Les Fish, David Crocker, Mary Smart, Brian Jones, Gerald ?, Jeanette ? Happy days.
I also attended St Johns school, next to the Sparkhill swimming baths.
 
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