Thousands walk tall in glorious sunshine
Reporter: Dawn Eckersley
Date published: 01 June 2009
THOUSANDS of people basked in glorious sunshine as they celebrated Whit Sunday at churches across the borough.
In Shaw, around 250 people enjoyed a service and hymns at Market Street car park with music by Ashton Brass Band and Michaela Potts.
Worshippers were asked to dress in red, yellow and orange to represent the fire of Pentecost and colourful balloons were handed out.
In Oldham town centre, congregations from Oldham Parish Church, the United Reformed Church, the Unitarian Chapel and Oldham Baptist Church stopped for a service outside the Spindles before heading to the Baptist Church in Chaucer Street for refreshments.
Roytonians led a colourful procession from St Paul’s Church via Church Street, Charles Street and Middleton Road before heading on to Rochdale Road and meeting the congregation from Trinity Methodist Church in Sandy Lane.
With the walking over, they headed back to St Paul’s for a well-deserved lunch and Benediction service.
Around 300 people took advantage of the hottest day of the year so far at Trevarrick Court in Greenacres.
Greenacres Congregational Church, St Barnabas, Clarksfield and Holy Trinity, Waterhead, came together for a joint celebration.
The streets of Lees came alive with the sound of brass bands a few days before Friday’s band contest.
Residents at Ashbourne House care home, in Lees New Road, were treated to a service and hymns before members of St Agnes, St John’s Hey, Springhead Congregational, Zion Methodist and Salem Moravian churches paraded to St Thomas Leesfield for a service followed by a band concert.
Worshippers at St Paul’s Church in Hathershaw and St Thomas’s Church in Werneth were joined by the Right Reverend Mark Davies, the Bishop of Middleton, for their procession.
The parade included stop offs at Coppice Care Home and Boston House Care Home for hymns and prayers.
North Chadderton churches gathered at Chadderton Hall Park while South Chadderton churches were led by African and Brazilian band Percussion4U on their parade around the area.
Holy Trinity Bardsley joined forces with Keb Lane Methodist for a glorious sunshine parade accompanied by a brass band.
Six Failsworth churches enjoyed an open air service at St Mary’s in Lord Lane with hymns and music by New Life Church.
In Hollinwood, Limeside Methodist, Hollins Methodist, St Margaret and St Chad’s, Beulah Baptist and United Reformed Church and Hollinwood United Reformed Church sang hymns on the car park at Netto in Hollins Road.
Tottington Silver Band provided the music for Woodhouses churches as they shared a service and marched around local streets.
