Celebration Service, July 2012
On Sunday 1 July at 3.00 pm there was a
special Service of
Thanksgiving and Restoration at St.
Tudno's to celebrate
the completed restoration work which was supported by Sponsor-a-Slate,
to which all sponsors and supporters were invited. During the
service the Books of Sponsors were presented. Tea and cakes were
served after the
service, when there was also an opportunity to examine the
books, which show the names on all sponsored slates and any associated
messages. The books were available for viewing after services
at St. Tudno's during the summer and are now part of the parish
archive. There are more photographs on the St. Tudno's page for
2012
and Friends
of St. Tudno's archive page.
Sponsor-a-Slate
for St.
Tudno's Church reaches target
In 1855 St.
Tudno’s Church on the Great Orme, Llandudno, was re-roofed and
restored thanks to
the generosity of one benefactor, Mr. William Henry Reece. Time
and the exposed position of the church took their toll and by 2009 the
church once again needed to be re-roofed. This provided an
exciting
opportunity
for anyone to be a benefactor by sponsoring a slate.
Sponsor-a-Slate was organised by the Friends
of St. Tudno's Church and was launched at the
Friends' Fair on 5 September 2009, with a target of 1000 slates to be
sponsored.
At the Friend's
Fair, people were queueing up to Sponsor-a-Slate, as shown in this
photo.
For £10.00 a slate, sponsors had their names, or that
of
someone whom they wished to remember, marked on a slate when the
roof was repaired.
Each sponsored slate has a permanent copper label with the
sponsor's
name
engraved on it and the labels have been fixed under the slates, and so
protected from the weather, but whenever a future generation repairs
the roof the names will be clear to see. All sponsors were
invited
to enter their names, and any messages, on the application form.
The forms were bound into four Books of Sponsors which
have become
part of the parish archive and are thus a more accessible record of
contributors. The Books were available to view after services
at St. Tudno's during summer 2012, after which they were transferred
to the drier atmosphere of Holy Trinity Church.
By the time that the restoration work began at the end of
February
2012, 1071 slates had been sponsored. The restoration work was
completed during early June 2012.
Sponsor-a-Slate raised more than £15,000 towards the roof appeal
and
the Friends
of St. Tudno’s Church are continuing to help the parish raise the
funds for maintenance of St. Tudno's.
Sponsor-a-Slate
Progress
Archbishop
of Wales sponsors
1000th slate
In April 2011 The Archbishop of
Wales, the Most Reverend Barry Morgan, sponsored the 1000th slate for
the roof of St. Tudno’s Church.
Dr. Morgan’s message for the book of sponsors is: “I have
very fond memories of preaching at St. Tudno’s when Elwyn Roberts was
the incumbent and I was university chaplain. I have loved the
place since those days.”
The Archbishop is shown receiving a special Sponsor-a-Slate certificate
from the Rector of Llandudno, Canon John Nice, following a service at
Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno, when the Archbishop had been presenting
the Archbishop of Wales’ Awards for Church Music (see Holy Trinity
Events for 2011).
MP
sponsors 750th slate
In September 2010
the Member of Parliament for
Aberconwy, Mr. Guto Bebb MP, visited St. Tudno's to sponsor the 750th
slate. Mr. Bebb (right) attended the Friends of St. Tudno's
annual service and was presented with his special Sponsor-a-Slate
certificate by
Friends' Chairman, Chris Fosbury.
Bishop
sponsors 500th slate
Sponsor-a-Slate passed the half-way way point in June 2010, with
the 500th slate being sponsored by the Bishop of Bangor, the Rt Revd
Andrew John.
Last updated: July 2012.
Archived: January 2016.
