Friday November 20

Looking Back: Building Their Own Hall

Published in November 1965, an account of a church in Edinburgh taking matters into their own hands.

^{The Rev Horace Walker at the laying of the foundation stone}

THE foundation stone of a new hall for Lochend Parish Church, Edinburgh, was laid recently by the Rev. Horace Walker, Home Board Secretary. The service was conducted by the minister, the Rev. William H. Brown, and the Rev. James Philip of Holyrood Abbey brought the good wishes of the neighbouring parishes.

The new hall is being built entirely by voluntary labour. Forty tradesmen – bricklayers, plumbers, joiners, electricians – and the minister work in the evenings by floodlight and on Saturdays.

The building, designed by a friend of one of the elders, is 94ft. by 30 ft. and contains cloakroom facilities and a large kitchen. The hall will seat 300 and the total cost will be about £6,500. The money is being raised by a sixpence-a-week scheme with the help of ninety collectors.

“The whole congregation is involved in the scene,” said Mr. Brown. “Many of those employed in the building have been coming along on wet nights just to stand around and wait and see if the rain will go off, so that they can get on with the work.”

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