Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 11th April, 2025)

At one time christenings were family affairs. Looking at the photo it looks like the parents and godparents only.At least the children where being Baptised.

I have never been inside St David's but have been round the churchyard where there is a gravestone bearing the date April 31st. It looks a lovely church. I wish the little ones being christened a happy life ahead.

Excellent, Dennis.
Baptisms are rare today and it is reassuring to see three.
Aspull and Haigh have two fine church buildings in St Elizabeth's and St David's and in this instance, good to see an unposed shot.
I can recall Mr Southern as Vicar of St David's. He had the fine "northern" training background, University of Leeds and the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield.

At sometime those shiny well polished benches would have been full of people. It looks lovely inside as well as outside.

PeterP this photo was taken after the service. Had I taken it during the service all I would have seen was the backs of the congregation.

Yes Dennis some happy memories and some sad. We were married there in 1968. The sad ones were the funerals. The last one being our Bernard who you knew, which was nearly four years ago now. He is in the graveyard, along with my grandma. We go there quite often to put flowers on her grave. She has been there since 1961.
I always look around as I know many of the names. Hope you are keeping well. Enjoy your photos, especially the ones around Aspull, which bring back many memories.

Although brought up in a home with Christian values I am not a church goer...I was in my teens & went to several churches of different faiths that took my fancy. I think to have a gathering & be christened / named in a special place is a good thing to do. Look at the number of folk who comment on WW & still remember & say 'I was christened in that Church '

There’s another lovely church on Haigh Rd Gary so that’s three churches in total.

I’ve never been inside Dennis, it looks to have no ‘Frippery’ of decoration like a simple place of worship.

Hi Veronica,
You mean Our Lady's - my grandma was buried from there. The celebrant was Fr Moriarty. She was buried in St Elizabeth's church yard.
In my comment I was just counting the CofE examples. Our Lady's probably has a higher number of parishoners than the two CofEs combined today.

I see what you mean Gary. I thought you had forgotten the church on Haigh Rd. I have only been in that church once many years ago.

Veronica, if Our Lady's is the Catholic Church near the Victoria Pub on Haigh Road, Peter and I attended a friend's wedding there in either 1972 or 1973....me with a maxi dress and Peter with a velvet jacket and platform shoes! We thought we were the bees' knees!

You would have been in the height of fashion Irene. I-think we-all did that one. Maxi skirts, kipper ties, rounded collars. Some of those platform shoes were lethal.

Great photo, I too always enjoy your photos from around Aspull. I have to disagree though with the comment about Baptisms don,t seem to happen very often. In my experience there are many more Baptisms than Weddings, and they always seem to be very well attended.

What a waste of of time and money these old fashioned religious event's are.
Why not wait until the children are old enough to make their own decisions about which group to follow.

Children can still make their own mind up later on many do. We are a Christian Country after all. In the same way Muslims honour their faith in their countries and here as well.