GA President Geoff Levermore recently visited the Northern Unitarian District, and its constituent congregations, Newcastle upon Tyne and Stockton, for our Annual Meeting. Here’s his account of his visit!
“Many thanks to Hazel and David Warhurst and Louise Reeve for inviting me to the Northern Unitarian Association (NUA) Annual Meeting and inviting me to give a talk and two services. Hazel and David kindly put me up in their house, with fine views and two heat pumps, for two nights. Many thanks! Louise also sorted a nice hotel for me and a nice Italian meal.
At the AGM, Louise outlined an interesting initiative Newcastle Unitarians are undertaking with Unitarian Transformers. At the meeting was the Rev. Paul Walker who takes a lot of services at Newcastle and Stockton. An ex-Anglican vicar, he has been Preacher of the Year.
The Newcastle service was at Northumbria University, having sold their large chapel to the university two years ago. Unfortunately, I turned the wrong way out of the hotel and walked the wrong way before Louise rescued me! Thanks to David Venus for the music. We had interesting conversations after the service. I could see that there are the opportunities for growth under trustees Louise, Jane Simpson, and David. The first picture is of some of the congregation having coffee after the service.
I then went to Stockton’s new, energy-efficient chapel:
Apologies that I had not put David Warhurst’s energy figures for it on my graph at the earlier talk! Before the service Victor Ball had been leading a Theosophy meeting; an interesting discussion. Thanks to all for filling in the questionnaire after the service (at Newcastle as well), and thanks to Jane Tomlin for the music. Another interesting discussion after the service and over dinner at Yarm; thanks again to Hazel and David Warhurst for putting me up for another night. An enjoyable weekend!”