A CLERGYMAN knew the children who attended his Sunday School, but hardly any of their parents.
Few of them attended services at St Francis Church in Hollow Way, Cowley, and the suspicion grew that they sent their children to church on Sunday afternoons to get a little peace and quiet.
So the priest-in-charge, the Rev J C W Topley, and his management committee devised a plan.
Mr Topley said in 1959: “We decided to have a social evening at which members of the committee and other members of the congregation could meet parents and get to know them.”
The idea backfired spectacularly – after all the effort of arranging the evening, only two parents, both regular churchgoers, turned up.
The organisers, however, were determined not to give in. They and a group of volunteers decided to visit all parents and give them a personal invitation to another social evening.
Did it work out this time?
Mr Topley said: “A dozen parents turned up and the social was such a wonderful success that similar events are to become a regular feature of our church life.”
Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone's contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.
Memory Lane this week
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here