Latest News
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.
Psalm 98:8
St Andrew’s 150th #4
While the building outside has remained the same, changes both subtle and startling have happened within the building.
Built in 1874, the interior may have been somewhat gloomy before leadlight windows were installed in 1893. In 1926 walls were painted, some carpet laid, the (probably smelly) kerosene lamps and heaters removed, and electricity installed. The costs were met by Henry Hotop (1856-1930) whose family also supplied the oak reredos. Initially behind the altar, this was moved to the west end of the church when in 1966 the magnificent stained-glass windows were installed.
In 1944 Mary Anne Richards left a legacy, half of which was to be used for windows as a memorial to her late sister Jane Tippets. The legacy was added to over the years, and in the time of Roger Taylor as Vicar the windows made in London by Carl Edwards were dedicated by Archdeacon Pywell. Prior to that, in 1959-60s, the plastered walls showed signs of age, meaning that the plaster had to be handpicked off, by volunteers, before replacement. After the concreting of the floor in 2001, new carpet was supplied by the Assoc. of Anglican Women.
In 2023, the original pews (and the under-pew tube heating which scorched many a shoe, and a foot or two!) were replaced with efficient heating and new chairs, making the space comfortable and adaptable for other uses such as 2024 Exhibition of Art (pictured).
If you have ever wondered what it looks like inside, the church will be open on St Andrew’s Day, Saturday 30th between 10am and 12 noon…
you are welcome to come and see!
.jpg)
St Andrew’s 150th #3
After the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the future of St Andrew’s Church building became uncertain.
Built in 1874 on land donated by John Marsh, the building was made from schist stone and sat on larger stones. In 2001, during the replacement of the original Baltic pine floor, it was found that the church had no proper foundations, and the concerns of a Clyde Dam engineer, was that the walls may start sliding outwards “like an old lady doing the splits”. To act as a gauge for wall movement, pieces of glass were placed high up on outside walls and to this day that glass has not broken. Channels for concrete were dug across the width of the building and extended under the walls to act as upside-down beams, before all the floor was replaced with concrete. The 2012 engineering report noted much needed to be done to reach 34% NBS. Initially it seemed insurmountable because of the enormous work and cost, but then, up to date solutions were employed by engineering firms and St Andrew’s attained its Code of Compliance in September 2017.
The grounds have gone through many changes; the fence line was once marked by poplar trees, the suckers of which can be seen in the black and white undated photo. Age has caught up with many of the trees, some of which were replaced in 2023 by the Spiral Garden, designed with peace and contemplation in mind.
With a strengthened building and a garden to enjoy, St Andrew’s is well prepared for a community facing role in the future of Cromwell.
For information on the 150th event phone 445 1157 or 4453356
St Andrew’s 150th birthday #2
In 150 years of St Andrew’s Anglican #1 which featured the Copycat, there was a little notice which read, “Copycat Ball Saturday July 8th…... Contact Bob Howard Ltd, phone 368.” This was in the time of Tom Brown, who arrived as Vicar in 1976. It was in the years prior to the growth of population; the years of long dresses and big hair; of fairy lights and decorations festooning the Memorial Hall and elaborate or crazy masks to be removed at midnight.
Shirley Howard recalls that days before the first Ball, only 20 tickets were sold, so she and Bob went up the main street and soon all tickets were sold. For the next few years tickets were a hot item; the numbers were restricted to 200, so people had to be turned away. There was great live music for dancing; much talking to do and a sumptuous supper from Muriel Craig, the local queen of the catering. A remembered conversation, at supper, was about false teeth. One woman, confidently stating that her teeth had great stickability, gave her top plate a little flick with her finger. Out it flew, landing in a bowl of fruit salad which was hurriedly returned to the kitchen.
Photos come from the Ball held on 2 July 1977. Were you there?
With Balls a thing of the past, 2011 saw the first of the Variety Concerts held in St Andrew’s church. Held for several years they featured artists from around the area, and attendees were also treated to a pottle of St Andy’s Apricot Jam. St Andrew’s Anglican, the oldest building in Cromwell still serving its original purpose while serving the wider community, will be150 years old on Nov 30th
For in more information, or to register for the event, phone 445 1157 or 445 3356.
St Andrew’s 150th Birthday #1
From small beginnings:
In the early 1970s began the forerunner of the Bulletin and other local news sheets of today.
Back in the 1960s there was no form of local communication or public news sheet, nothing to inform or report on anything that was to happen, or had happened, within the small town which was then home to close to 1,000 people. Nothing in which to advertise goods; discounted, delicious, delectable or designer. Then came the Copycat, a single sheet of paper, the printed word of all sorts of news and advertised “specials” eagerly awaited each Friday tucked into the delivered Otago Daily Times.
St Andrew’s Anglican Church was the unlikely home of the Copycat which was first devised and printed by the Vicar Bernard Wilkinson. Bernard was a familiar sight in Cromwell, news was not hard to come by, and there was a queue of local businesses waiting to sponsor each edition for $10 necessary to cover the costs of the cheap paper to be printed by the old Gestetner and the $2 each paid to the delivery boys who included the Copycat with the O.D.T. The Sponsor / advertiser was often treated to one of Bernard’s rhymes:
When Bob Howard came to town,
One day we all went down
To view the range of goodies in his shop.
He had radios and trannies
And records fit for grannies,
And we thought we’d like to buy the jolly lot!
His companion in the shop,
Is Shirley, who can stop
And help you when you’re making a decision.
She is really such a cutie-
But we have to say, her beauty,
Is exceeded by the colour television!
“Sometimes the print results were a bit smudgy” says Bernard, “but okay.” The delivery boys were paid $2 each to include the Copycat with the Otago Daily Times. Now aged 94, Bernard will be among the guests who gather on St Andrew’s weekend 29/30th November 2024, to celebrate the 150th birthday of St Andrew’s the building, which is the oldest building in Cromwell still used for its original purpose while serving the wider community.
For more information, or to register for the event, phone 445 1157 or 445 3356.
