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A Short History Section

As far as we know the first Methodist meetings in Hayes End were held in the home of the Cox family, Springfield House. What started as just four adults around 1891 soon grew until, in 1894, there were 40 people meeting regularly to worship and a Sunday School was started. In 1895 the group, known locally as The Wesleyans, moved into the former Baptist Church in Morgans Lane. Apparently we've always been a noisy lot since it would seem that a Fife and Drum Band was forced to disband in the late 1890's after complaints from neighbours about the noise!

The name of the chapel was changed in 1914 to West End Hayes Wesleyan Church. A bit of a mouthful so locals always referred to it as the Morgan's Lane Chapel. The first weddings were performed in the chapel in 1925, after a safe was bought to store the Marriage Registers, although a Registrar was still required to attend to make them 'official'. In 1926 a fund was started to build a new church, the one that we use to this day. The land to build the church was purchased in 1929, but the building itself wasn't finished until late 1934. Some things don’t change - the cost of the building was underestimated by £4,000 but an anonymous donation of £4,500 (an awful lot of money then) helped solve the problem and building continued . The building we use today is much the same as it was then, so we have much to thank them for in designing such a versatile structure.

Like most people we enjoy a chance to celebrate and so in 1984 we celebrated the Golden Jubilee of our present church building. Much of the information contained here comes from the booklet produced to mark the occasion. Similarly in 1991 we did much the same to celebrate the centenary of Methodism in Hayes End only on a much larger scale. Looking back at the booklets, the most remarkable things are the many memories of the people who have worshipped here over the years. A few examples:

• Apparently there is a ‘time capsule’ under the building, placed there during the stone laying ceremony.

• The gas geyser exploded while tea was being served after the official opening service!

• The children used to like to play tricks on the musician and others - birds in the piano, frogs in the piano seat, mice released in the church during services, etc..

• and many memories of happy times spent in various groups that have met here over the years, many still in operation today.

The area around the church has changed a great deal since the time of the First World War. What is now an urban area was then largely rural. With these changes have come new opportunities and challenges. Our congregations are now made up of people from many countries and from all over this country. Many of us come from other Christian denominations and we bring their traditions with us, enriching our worship and times of fellowship. Our social events often include a meal so this range of backgrounds makes for a varied diet. Just a few examples, our Harvest Supper this year was a curry, we've celebrated Burns Night with Haggis, had Caribbean, African and Sri Lankan evenings and, of course, Sunday roasts!