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Anthony Greenwood, who looks after the graveyard on a voluntary basis, is looking for an assistant to help mow the grass. If you are interested, please get in touch:
January 2012
Dial restoration:
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December/January 2012
The Sundial is being restored to its original condition:
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21st November 2011. The scaffolding is erected to restore the Dial.
Mid November 2011. The wall is built. Mick and Matthew to fit gate and do a bit of landscaping.
October 2011. Tony Woodhead and side-kick, Tony, are rebuilding the wall around the graveyard extension. Mick and Matthew Wilkinson have re-located the wall stones and put in the gate posts. Rosalind Greenwood looking on.
October 16th. Ruth Needham Family Ceramic donation.
This plate, and the mug, were donated by Ruth Needham and Family.
The Centenary Plate and the mug belonged to their grandfather,
Mr Charles H.V.Florence, a Primitive Methodist, who was present at Mow Cop in 1907.
September 27th. Heritage Meeting
July/August
Maintenance work has been carried out, mainly to the cottage. Many windows have been replaced. New gutters fitted.
A one year's old cooker has obtained for the kitchen, the old one kept blowing the main fuse!
The black churchyard access gates have had a new coat of hammerite as have the boiler house roof girders.
July 2011
Sunday July 3rd
Mount Zion Sunday School Reunion
We were blessed with a beautiful afternoon for our reunion. About thirty people joined us for a service of communion led by Rev. Tony Buglass, followed by a strawberry tea in the cottage.
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Tuesday 7th June 2011
10 People, mainly from Mount Zion went to see the Heritage Centre at Englesea Brook. See the photographs here.
Friday 17th December 2010
One of the main heating circulation pipes rusted away in the wall down to the boiler house. Mick and his mate from Alfred Bottomley LTD. came to the rescue in order that the Carol Service on Sunday could go ahead! It took them a day and a half to sort it out, in freezing conditions!
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5th December, 2010. A carol singing session! Introduced by Rosalind Greenwood. Led by Stephen Illingworth, in fine form on the organ.
£75 was raised for Action for Children.
25th September, 2010. A visit from the Pendle Circuit, led by Superintendent Minister, Revd Andrew Turner.
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30th April, 2010. Very sad news of the death of Miss Irene Cunliffe, Mount Zion's staunchest worker and promoter of our history and Connexional heritage.
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October 2009
A New Old Picture?
June 2009
It was decided to restore and repaint all the outside doors. This was carried out by Graham Wood, the son-in-law of Rosalind and Anthony Greenwood. He is a Cabinet Maker, and expert in all things wood.
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October 5th 2008
Mount Zion exhibit at the Southowram Church Flower Festival
August 2008
Keighley Tree Services came to tidy up Mount Zion graveyard trees. They removed lower and overhanging branches, and thinned out their crowns as neccessary.
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Sunday 6th July 2008 Anniversary and Reunion
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Saturday 28th June 2008 Wesley Historical Society Annual Meeting and Lecture
Mount Zion was the venue for the Wesley Historical Society Annual Meeting
and Lecture on Saturday 28th June 2008.
The day began with a welcome to Mount Zion by the friends and heritage secretary,
Irene Cunliffe. Dr John A Hargreaves, general secretary of the Wesley Historical
Society, then provided a brief history of Methodism at Mount Zion.
Donald Ryan spoke about the Hird Collection of Ceramics, which is on permanent
display at the centre and, following lunch the annual general meeting chaired
by John A Newton.
Tim MacQuiban introduced Prof. Edward Royle, Professor Emeritus of History at
the University of York, who gave the annual lecture entitled ‘When did
Methodists stop attending their parish churches? Some suggestions from mid-nineteenth
century Yorkshire.’
Thanks were given to members of Mount Zion who provided refreshments throughout the day.
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Anniversary and Reunion Service, Sunday 2nd July, 2006.
It was a beautiful, warm day. The congregation were reluctant to
leave the stone chair, seats and benches, outside the Chapel, to come in
for the service at 2.45 p.m!
The visiting preacher was Rev. Stan Brown who is chaplain at Kingston University,
Kingston-on-Thames. Stan was on the staff of the Halifax Methodist Circuit
some time ago and had pastoral oversight of Mount Zion. He was also Chairman
of Governors at The Ridings School and many in the community may remember
him from that.
The service had some rousing hymns, well accompanied on the organ by Stephen
Illingworth of Denholme Clough. The Bible Readings were read by members of
the congregation.
After the service afternoon tea was served in the cottage and on the seats
outside and many stayed on to talk to Stan and old friends. There were visitors
from Leicester and Bingley as well as many from the local area. It was a
very friendly and pleasant Reunion and the storm did not break until we had
all got home. Unfortunately it took Stan much longer to get home because of
traffic on the M1 and a fire on the M25 - 2 a.m. after a nine hour journey.
Two people from Leicester brought photographs of Mount Zion groups, and a programme from the Sunday School Sings, which were held in the Piece Hall in the latter part of the 19th century.
We have recently added to our collection of medals from the Sunday Schools sings of 1880, 1885 and 1890. We already have medals from Mount Zion, Illingworth, and Ovenden scholars and one for "Band". We have recently acquired more - Southowram, Salem, Miall Street (forerunner of Trinity Methodist, Pellon Lane/Queens Road), and a "Singer" one.
We were also given a commemorative mug from the Sing which had been found at the Hipperholme Methodist premises. Also recently added to the collection were some Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee sings and a medal commemorating the Union of Methodism in 1932. I had not seen one of those before so it was good to acquire it.
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June, 2006.
The graveyard wall has been repaired near the front gate. The trees were causing it to bow out. It was decided after good natured local opposition, to retain the trees, and just repair the wall. It will be interesting to see if and when it needs repairing again!
28th/29th September 2005.
As a result of a survey carried out to check the state of the graves, it was decided to have professional repairs done.
Paul Bonner and his memorial team from Huddersfield spent two days making around 33 graves, mainly memorial crosses safe.
They did this by drilling a half inch hole downwards through each grave plinth, cleaning and grouting between the plinths then fitting a stainless steel bar down the hole. The graves should now last many years without further repair. Paul can be contacted on 01484 311669.
Sunday 11th September. 2005
Mount Zion celebrated Harvest Festival, following a successful Heritage Open Weekend.
The Rev. Lisa Quarmby led the service.
This was in support of the work of the Huddersfield Mission in the community through a collection of 'dry goods', as well as fruit and flowers.
Flowers
Fruit
Grub
3rd July, 2005
The Anniversary and Reunion Service was held at Mount Zion on Sunday, 3rd July, 2005 at 2.45pm. The preacher was the Rev. Cyril Blount, an active supernumerary minister in the Halifax Circuit.
Cyril is very interested in the history and heritage of Methodism so was a very appropriate person to be taking the service. He began by playing some bird song on a CD. It was quite a surprise to many of the congregation who wondered where it was all coming from! One lady remarked, "Oh no, - now they've got birds in the Chapel". (I think she was considering them in the same light as the mice!).
The Rev. Blount spoke about our singing out the message of the Gospel, making a lot of noise about it and using it to encourage people to come and join us.
The hymns were all rousing - 'All hail the power to Diadem', and we did very well with that! Perhaps the highlight was 'Come ye that love the Lord', to the Tune 'Marching to Zion'. This is not in the Methodist Hymn Book nor Hymns and Psalms - it is in Sacred Songs and Solos by Sankey and is one of his perhaps better known hymns.
The Anniversary and Reunion grew out of the old Sunday School Anniversary, but when the Sunday School at Mount Zion was no longer there it was changed to a Reunion event. It was enjoyed by everyone and there was a good number at the service.
The photograph below shows some of the congregation who stayed for the 'team photo'.
Irene Cunliffe
Approx 2009
Members and friends
made a start in tidying the graveyard. It proved to be a far bigger job
than expected, and in fact took about 8 years!
Copyright: Mount Zion Chapel,