My Methodist childhood in Keighley

1950-1968

Lund Park Wesleyan Church

I was brought up (b 1947) in Keighley, West Yorks, where my home church was Lund Park Methodists. Ministers in that period were W Ivor Calvert, Ralph Lowery, Albert W Mosley and B Vaughan Anderson.

I had organ lessons at age 13 at the larger Temple St Methodist Church in the centre of town.  At age 14 I became organist at Fell Lane Methodist Chapel in the town, and then in 1963-65 at my own Lund Park Church, sadly demolished in the mid 70’s. The two other churches I mentioned also closed. 

Now, recently retired, I live on the Wirral, where I have mainly played the organ at Hoylake Welsh Presbyterian Chapel, though I have recently played at West Kirkby Methodist, and have Easter Sunday booked for Heswall Methodist Church. 

I understand that the daughter of above mentioned Rev Ralph Lowery is Rev Susan Howdle, a well known Methodist Minister today.

Comments about this page

  • Hello Brian Sorry, I have only just seen your comment left last December. Thank you for your memories of Ivor Calvert and his son Christopher. I may try and search for the latter! Thanks again.

    By Lorraine Harding (05/02/2020)
  • Hello Lorraine, well I was just a young lad when W Ivor Calvert was our Minister at Lund Park, Keighley. I remember him as a gently kind man with a round face and glasses. He and his wife had one son Christopher who I was with at Primary school, but he was later sent to Ashville College, Harrogate as a boarder, aboyt 23 miles away, and Iost touch with him. Of course we only had Rev Ivor for a few years, before he was replaced by Rev Ralph Lowery, whose daughter Susan Howdle has posted above.

    By Brian R Moate (18/12/2019)
  • I am interested that you knew the Rev. W. Ivor Calvert. He and my father were at college together (Didsbury) and were good friends. What was Ivor Calvert like? My father often spoke of him. My father was Walter Gill, a Minister from the early 1940s till 1964, then again from 1986 to his death in 1995.
    Lorraine Harding

    By Lorraine Harding (16/12/2019)
  • Hi Brian, I am wondering if you possibly knew my mother, Alice Muriel Eccles? She attended the Methodist church with her parents Herbert and Mary when she was young and sang in the choir or solo sometimes. 

    By Christine Fenton (27/08/2017)
  • Yes, we lived in Grafton Road across the allotments. I don’t know of any other ex Lund Parkers. (There was an Eric Pickles who went). I will mention this to Janice.

    By June Pettitt (07/08/2015)
  • I remember Janice well, though not yourself June.  I think you lived in Grafton Rd and I could see your house from ours across the allotments !

    By Brian Moate (28/05/2015)
  • I was at Lund Park Methodists from I think age three, I was born in 1953 and my name was June Lund.  my older sister was Janice.  I have many memories of my Sunday School and I liked coming across this item about it.

    By June Pettitt (31/05/2014)
  • Hi Susan, Thanks for the response. Yes I remember the circuit ‘Eisteddfod’ as we called it. Though I live on the Wirral now, I spent much of the week in Leeds until my retirement Easter last year, I think you were in that area too. My daughter is a preacher, but an Anglican Lay Reader. Would like to keep in touch with you.

    By Brian R Moate (29/11/2013)
  • How nice to hear from Brian! First, a correction – I am not actually a Methodist minister, though I am a local preacher and have held various connexional offices and so I might be ‘well known’ – to some people anyway! I wonder if you remember, Brian, how we used to compete in playing the piano at Circuit music festivals? I can’t remember who used to win! I’m glad you kept up your organ playing – a gift very much in demand for churches today.

    By Susan Howdle (21/11/2013)

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