Church Buildings 3

The photo is of Parkstone Evangelical Church in Poole, Dorset. I think the photo dates back to the 1950’s, in which case the church would have been known as Newtown Evangelical Free Church. If I remember correctly it came into being as a result of a mission led by Eric Land (brother of Leslie Land), sometime in the 1930’s. I was baptized in that building in 1954. If I am correct about the date of the photo, the building to the right at the back was made of wood or asbestos and it was where we met for Bible Studies, Prayer Meetings and Young Peoples’ meetings. Behind this a smallholder kept pigs and, depending on the wind direction, the smell varied from the tolerable to the considerable, but while people grumbled about it at times, I’m not sure that it kept anyone away. At one time young people’s camps were held in a field on the edge of Poole so I can remember our summer congregations sometimes suddenly swelled by a hundred or so youngsters. One visiting preacher, suddenly confronted by such an unexpected multitude, changed his sermon and preached simply, and effectively, on the first Passover in Exodus. It is some years since I last paid a visit but I hope to do so soon.