Small scale: big memories

8:55am Thursday 22nd February 2007

Comments (0)   Have your say »

An 82-year-old man has built a scale model of an Oxford church where six generations of his family were married over three centuries.

Harold Simmonds, of Sycamore Road, Launton, built the 2ft by 3ft model of St Mary the Virgin Church, in Iffley, working from photographs and his memories of the building.

Mr Simmonds said: "I'm very pleased with it. The whole thing took me about 18 months in all. I used to make dolls' houses, because I'm retired and it's something to do."

The church has a special meaning for the former stonemason, because he first met his wife Kathleen at the church's Sunday school in 1930, when she was three and he was six.

He said: "I've lost touch with all the old people from Iffley, except my wife. When we were children we used to sit under the big tree there, then we met again when we passed each other on the way to work in the village.

"We used to stop and have a chat - then we ended up getting married."

His daughter, Jane Johnstone, who still lives in Iffley, said: "When he said to me he was going to build a model of the church, I didn't take much notice.

"But then I saw the model and I was shocked. It's just so lovely. Iffley Church has been very important to six generations of our family, who have married there.

"If my daughter ever gets married, she would like to have her wedding in Iffley Church. That would make it seven generations."

Although Mr Simmonds spent more than a year building the model, he is now unsure what to do with it. He said he would be happy to donate it to the church.

The vicar of St Mary's, the Rev Andrew McKearney, said: "This church is the kind of church that generates these lovely stories, because of its long history and the beautiful building.

"We're very lucky that we've got the original."

The Anglican church serves Rose Hill, Donnington and Iffley.

Historians believe the it was built about 1170, in the reign of Henry II, making it one of the oldest Norman churches in the country.