Bright – and early

NO matter that the first train from Darlington to Middlesbrough is replaced by a blithering bus, that the onward train is further delayed behind a wayward Whitby service and that there’s a serious danger of breaking the commandment about not killing – and, double jeopardy, doing it on a Sunday morning – I’m still three weeks early for the tercentenary celebrations of Methodism in Marske.

Make that three weeks and 90 seconds.

That’s how close a call it is.

The big weekend’s September 11 and 12, exactly 150 years since the original church opened in the High Street. Something else – the National Village Cricket Cup final, a Lord’s day of an altogether different hue – has now commandeered the spot in the diary.

This is Marske-by-the-Sea, between Redcar and Saltburn, though the briny’s so greatly out of sight that passing travellers might never suspect its proximity.

The village grows apace – a town now, surely – though there are premises in the centre that claim to be a virtual barber’s, virtual cafe, virtual book shop and so forth. Someone may be able to offer a real-time explanation.

John Wesley never visited, though he was at Guisborough, down the road, and at Hutton Rudby. Marske, in any case, had heard enough.

In those days it was a fishing and mining community, not much more than the High Street itself, the ruined St Germain’s church on the cliff top suggesting occupation almost 1,000 years previously.

Known as the Brunswick, the first Methodist church was huge – as they were back then – but by the centenary was seriously showing its years.

“The roof leaked so badly then when it rained we’d sometimes have to walk through water,” recalls Bill Nicholson, whose late wife was organist for 50 years.

Either they could rebuild – “costly but inadequate”, said a contemporary report – or look elsewhere. The first “careful” estimate for a new church was £16,450. Soon it rose to £18,000, then £19,250. The rate at which funds could be raised was less than that at which costs were rising, said the report. “We stand in need of your generous help,” it added.

The new building was in Hummershill Lane, then barely developed, now part of Marske’s inexorable expansion. On the opening day they processed from one to t’other. The architect, doubtless impressed, himself became a Methodist minister and returned for the silver jubilee in 1991.

The original church is now flats.

“Very tasteful flats,” assures Margaret Healey, a church steward.

The organ, given by a village grocer and reckoned the area’s best, moved with them. “I remember as a teenager sitting during boring sermons counting the organ pipes.

There were 21,” says Wendy Castling, another steward. These days the pipes are encased. “I listen to the sermons,”

she says.

USUALLY, between 50 and 60 attend Sunday morning services, four new members this year alone. That rather fewer are in attendance last weekend is because folk are on holiday, the organist’s on holiday, the Sunday School is on holiday.

So, come to that, is Graham Cottam, the Methodist local preacher who’s leading the service. Graham’s local to Finchley, east London. He comes to Redcar on holiday, has a caravan near the beach, usually spends five or six weeks there and offers himself for appointments. A Durham graduate, he’d been a housemaster at Greenhow prep school in Saltburn until it closed in 1992. Redcar was the one he had to come back for.

“I just love the coast, the moors, the friendliness of the people,” says Graham. “It’s just a lovely part of the world – not too touristy, not spoiled, but still with plenty to do.”

No matter, either, that the view from the caravan window may be of blast furnaces – “I still enjoy it,” says Graham, “and, besides, there aren’t as many as there were.”

It’s he who has to welcome folk to last Sunday’s service. “I always feel a bit fraudulent,” he says. “It’s I who should be thanking you for your welcome.”

The service is traditional, Graham’s address on the necessity (or otherwise) of following rules and regulations. Far from having ten commandments, the Book of Exodus has 615. He doesn’t say if one of them is about not throttling Northern Rail train crews but it clearly worries a lady in the seats behind.

“Oh my goodness me,” she says.

They’re a welcoming, friendly bunch, the church active in all sorts of ways and on seven days a week.

“We’re in good heart,” says Margaret Healey. “We’re happy to be marking 150 years but really we’re looking to the future. It’s still going to be a really good weekend. Just a pity about the cricket.”

■ Celebrations begin on Saturday, September 11, at 7.30pm, with a concert by Cleveland Police band – £4 adults, £2 under-16s. Brian Thornton, a former vice-president of the Methodist Conference, is guest speaker at the 10.30am service the following day. At 3pm, Stephen Ridley leads a musical afternoon and faith tea, while at 6pm the Reverend Malcolm Newman leads “Thanksgiving praise” with the White Rose Singers.

■ Today, Saltburn Methodist church holds a bank holiday bazaar from 10am to 3pm, with a multitude of stalls and refreshments all day. On Monday, from 10am there’ will be more stalls with coffee and scones.

Proceeds to church funds.