Page 4 - link magazine

4 The Link Magazine • July 2001
Church celebrates quarter of a century
of ministry in the West
A joyful celebration of thanksgiving at Toothill Church on 20 May marked the
start of Swindon's expansion to the west twenty five years ago and the contribu-
tion of the church from the earliest days of the development. U ' " d l 11
d`,""' r ti ) A packed congregation met past tor or school," she said. "Public people when I visited them; at one
c ) members of the ecumenical church transport was non-existent at first, time new houses were spread
3
batkroortirs dw e s, team who returned from all over so my car became a taxi for preg- across 23 building sites.
the country and heard social nant mums and for taking chil- "That first summer was the hot-
worker Olive King describe how dren up to PMH. The car was also test for ten years. Tewkesbury Way
she arrived on 1 April 1976 to work a shop and out of suitcases would was a heap of earth and there was
with the first five families who had come tea, sugar and other essen- dust everywhere. The builders
r
g2GLEYa1 p4 O C ". ty rTv,G
already moved in. tial items. At other times it was a would start at four in the morning
"There was nothing here at the mobile office carrying my type- and finish at midday. But just be-
Tel: 01793 886947 time, no shops or post office, doc- writer so I could type letters for yond the building sites were green
Mob: 0780 3432312 Present and past ministers at Tooth ill Church: Rev George Gibson (1993-96), fields, with cows grazing in them
where the children could play.
Rev Ian Hanscombe (1978 - 92), Rev Jan Partridge, Rev Mark Roper, Ecumeni-
"We had the use of a council
COOPERS cal Partnership team leader Rev Andrew Hethrington, Rev David Attwood house until some months later a
(1979 - 85), church social worker Olive King builder's hut was made available,
CHEMIST half as a shop, the other half as a
community centre. Our coffee
WEST SWINDON CENTRE
morning group moved in and we
Fine fragrances, toiletries, formed a cub pack. An evening
ear piercing etc. service was started and we began
APS, developing & printing making plans for a church. When
building started in 1977I also took
One free 35mm 24 exp film on the role of paying the wages
with every 35mm roll
which were delivered to the site."
developed on the premises Church member David Hoar,
Tel: 872033 who has lived in West Swindon
since 1977, said, "from green fields
Open 7 days a week to around 12,000 homes, West
Swindon has become a thriving
Mon - Fri 9am - 8pm,
community; the church has made
Sat 9am - 6pm, Sun 10am - 3pm
an important contribution to this."
From the archives
Martin Hoar, aged two •
andahalf tuckinginto
One look at our windows, tea at a street party for
doors or conservatories i fifty children to cel-
and you'll know you've a ^- 1 ;' . 7 ebrate the Queen's Sil-
ver Jubilee, organised
ERMIN Markenfield, Toothill.
made the right choice. I in 1977 by residents of
On 30 June, now
aged 26, living in
VWINDOWS ^ Freshbrook and work-
ing at Waterstones
,.rs^ Books, he married
Soffits • Fa'. i,i • Guttering
L t ^ Tracey Hearne.
3 Overton Gardens, Stratton St Margaret, Swindon
• 1 t : 1 =.a_
The Link

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e: [email protected] Swindon community in December 1978.
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