Inter War Years

In the 1920s and early 1930s many things had not changed since the Church was built. There were a few more houses, and Bence’s Buses began to run to Kingswood, but there was no electricity or gas, or, for that matter, mains drainage. The area through Cock Road to Kingswood was still ‘the Lanes’. Even Tower Road North was still ‘Warmley Lane’ in the early 1930s. The roads were tarmac surfaced, but street lighting was by the occasional shop or house window, and, when there was a meeting, by the lamp over the Church Gate.

Cars were a rarity, and it was quite safe for children to play in the roads, even at night. Few local people bothered to lock or bolt their doors. Then Electricity arrived, and for the Centenary in 1933, the momentous step of installing electric lights in the church was taken. At the end of some of the pews it was always possible to notice a small extra length had been added to the bookrest. These were in the positions where the old posts used to hold the Oil Lamps, which were also hung on brackets on the pillars, in places on the walls, and on the front of the organ. The heating was improved and a major redecoration carried out.

Two Newspaper articles reporting events in the schoolroom.

Lantern Slide shows were still being given in the 1930s, although some films of a religious nature began to be shown by visiting evangelists. There was a short lived attempt to start a Boys’ Brigade Company, the 12th Bristol, but it did not last. The Sunday School at one point grew to over 100 scholars.

From the turn of the Century there had been occasional outings by Horse Brake, but now the Charabanc began to be used. The Annual Outing, in most places run by the Sunday School, was at Wesley run by the Band of Hope, a Temperance Organisation. Three or four motor coaches took members and friends to Weston-super-Mare. On arrival the children were lined up and given 6d for their dinner, or to enjoy themselves with!