Where is this memorial originally from?

[liverpool annie]

Hi Midnight and welcome to RootsChat ! 

That's OK to repeat things here ...... half of us are hard of hearing anyways !! 

I for one - would love to see what the church looks like or any other snippets you can tell us !! - and thank you for the offer !

Annie 

[Midnight Runner]

Good Morning everyone, as you might gather I am a Lark rather than an Owl! Last night was an exception.
Here is some more information which might be of interest.
The Brain family were solicitors, Brian & Brain.
The Eighteens were Fishmongers and had a number of branches in the town including one or two 'Chippies'.
The Colebrooks were Butchers.

A Minister was mentioned in one reply, and short of reading back through them all I can't recall his name, but he was not a minister at Trinity.
Here is a list of those who were.
1847 to 1850 W. Guest
1851 to 1854 Samuel Kilpin.
1855 to 1861 H. Bateman.
1862 to 1874 J.F. Stevenson.
1876 to 1882 George Sale Reaney
1883 to 1889 John Oates
1891 to 1898 Dr Amdrose Shepherd
1899 to 1906 Harry Snell
1907 to 1912 Albert Swift
1912 to 1929 Percy Harrison
1921 to 1923 Duncan Carson
1924 to 1928 Robert Teasdale
1929 to 1936 Wilfred Massey
1937 to 1946 C. E. Surman
1946 to 1960 G. P. Smailes
1962 to 1975 Lawrence Wheeler.

Coincidentally, I am also a member of Reading Forum which had a mench at one stage, and it was brobably me that had been talking about Trinity. Another member used to play with the Smailes's children when he was a child. The Smailes lived in Northcourt Avenue, Reading.

Thudders, would it be poosible to know just where the Depot was where you found the plaque?

Have a good day everyone.

[Abiam2]

There was a fish and chip shop called 'Eighteens' in King Street, Maidenhead. 

I used to be taken there as a treat in the late 40's early 50's.  You could sit

down and eat your meal - unusual then!

Great story, well done all,

Abiam

[millymcb]

Hi - Great news Thudders -

Hi Midnight Runner - Thomas Steer was the one we believe to be a congregational minister - father of Phillip Steer.   I guess he must have been at another church or perhaps a lay preacher or retired or something).

I'd love to see any photos too...


Milly

[Midnight Runner]

I will see if I can find out anything about Thomas Steer. I am certain that he was not a minister at Trinity and almost certain that he was not at Park either. He might have been at Castle Street Congregational Church which closed in the 60s and the site sold and assets realeased used to build a church on what was then a new housing estate at Southcote.
Now I am going to try to attach some photos of Trinity.
Oh, OK, the files are too big. What, only 500kb allowed!
I'll come back later.

[Midnight Runner]

OK I will try this.


Yup, that worked.
This is the north end of the church overlooking Queens Road. I do not know the date of the photo. I may have some others stored away in my loft on either b&w film or slides.

[Midnight Runner]

Here is another one


This is the Binns Organ. Binns had two on offer at the time and this is the one that the University of Reading could not afford! For organ buffs, it had a 16ft pipe with a tremulant which effectively turned it into a 32 footer. When Bertie Barkus let rip with the Toccata and Fugue the tiles on the roof rattled!

[Midnight Runner]

The Apse at one time was quite magnificent, but sadly over the years the paintwork deteriorated badly and it had to be coated over. The original finally won the battle though because the original paint kept on bleeding through the emulsion paint covering it.




As you can see from the second pen & ink drawing, the building was huge and cost an absolute fortune to heat even back in the 70s. I shudder to think what it would cost now.

If you would like any further information please do ask.

[Thudnut]

Hi everyone.

Hi Midnight Runner - welcome to Rootschat.  Sorry I've not been here sooner - work again, I'm afraid!  (Sidetracked again Annie!)

Thank you very much for the additional information you have provided.  I'm particularly interested in the photograph of the Apse.  The large square in the centre looks remarkably like the memorial at the centre of this quest.  Are you able to magnify that part of the photo and re-post?  It would be fantastic to have a photo of it in its original location.

I have sent you a pm letting you know the details of the reclamation yard.

I'll let you all know when the minister recontacts me.
Regards all.
Thudders