A feast of fun is in store for church's 125th anniversary (From Warrington Guardian)

A feast of fun is in store for church's 125th anniversary

CELEBRATIONS to bring in the 125th anniversary year of a Bewsey church began in earnest this week.

On Sunday, parishioners at St Barnabas CE Church, on Lovely Lane, commemorated the Feast of St Barnabas to kick off the anniversary year's festivities.

And over the months leading up to the big day, on October 18, an itinerary of events has been planned to get churchgoers, old and new, involved.

Anita Shearer, church warden, is currently hunting for former rose queens, like herself, to get in on the act.

So far, thanks to an appeal in the Warrington Guardian in April, a dozen former queens have been in touch.

Mrs Shearer said: "We had a really good response.

"We have had about a dozen phone calls and we have been able to trace rose queens back to 1949."

Mrs Shearer said that people have called from as far away as Yorkshire and that they have found former rose queens in Padgate, Moore and Paddington.

Most of these erstwhile St Barnabas churchgoers have now been invited to a strawberry tea that is being held on Sunday, June 27.

It is hoped that some of the rose queens will be able to walk in the church's parade on Warrington Walking Day.

The lucky few that do walk will get their own banners, made for them by children at St Barnabas Primary School.

Mrs Shearer added: "It's not too late for people who have had any past involvement with the church to get in touch - the more the merrier!"

In addition to the rose queens, former clergy have also been drafted in to celebrate the special year by leading various ceremonies in the run-up to October.

Anyone keen to join in the celebrations should call the Rev Karen Timmis on 633556 or Anita Shearer on 6553716.