Parish church opens doors

THE skies above St James’ Church in Barry Street, Oldham, will be lit up when it celebrates the 180th anniversary of its consecration this month.

A fireworks spectacular is planned for September 20, but the church is also inviting the public in for Heritage Open Days from tomorrow.

The church will be open up to and including Sunday, from 9am to 6.30pm.

Building work on St James’s, which contains fine carved woodwork and stained glass, started in 1827, and it is the oldest parish church in Oldham town.

After the Second World War, St James’s began to decay and by the 1970s it had been considered for closure.

But over the past 30 years the church has been transformed with more than £1 million spent on major indoor and outdoor restoration, including reroofing, dry rot treatment, a new kitchen, electrical rewiring, rehanging the church bell and work on the tower and clock face.

The vicar, the Rev Paul Plumpton, said: “We have an extremely fine rood screen dating from 1920, which was a First World War memorial, a new marble sanctuary and altar, and there will be vestments, photos and archive material on show, fine church silver and information leaflets with the history of the church.

“The windows in the lady chapel date from 1920 and show the two warrior saints, St George and St Joan, for First World War the allies of Britain and France.

“St Joan has a halo and it was only in 1920 that she was canonised, so it is one of only two windows showing her as a saint in the whole of the country.”

Sunday services will be held as usual at 10.15am and 6.30pm, and light refreshments will be served during the open days.