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‘Mac’ was an institution in St Albans Church. He came to Retford in 1920 as a geography teacher at King Edward’s Grammar School. He was then a Lay Reader and was ordained deacon in 1927. He lived with his family in a house between the church and the school. In addition to leading Sunday worship he made pastoral visits in the area, and supported life of the parish at All Hallows and (from 1948) St Mary’s Hall, built to serve the spiritual needs of the people of the Allison estate. He was a larger than life character: at the school he was known as a disciplinarian capable of quelling near riots with his mere presence. He was also a hot air balloonist.

Mrs McFerran was a leader of the Mothers’ Union in the parish. Between 1928 and 1946 one branch covered both All Hallows and St Albans churches, in 1946 they separated, and in 1985 they were reunited. Over the years members have been involved in almost all aspects of the life of the parish. They participated in preparation groups for baptism and marriage, ran Mother and Toddlers groups and services at St Albans, and helped prepare children for their first communion. Meetings discussed a wide range of topics of social concern, and members helped raise money for a variety of causes. With falling numbers, the branch closed in December 2000.

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The Church supported a busy and active social life. To open old copies of the parish magazine at random is to discover a wide range of activities almost every month. St Albans Players, for example, produced several plays. While for the most part they were one act plays, in 1936 they produced “Rope”, a 3 act play, for Christmas. Proceeds went towards the Sunday school outing.

The Tennis Club was a thriving concern. It had grass courts on Richard Street and in 1930 had 52 members. The team finished second in the 1935 local league, and in 1941 they won the League Shield losing just one of their four matches.

The St Albans branch of the Church of England Men’s Society was established in December 1955 and held a regular programme of outings and other activities for more than 

twenty years. For most of that time Mr John Kitchen was Secretary, organising visits to such places as Longbridge car plant, Rampton Hospital and Scampton Airbase. A highlight of this period was the CEMS Diocesan Rally in October 1969 held at St Albans which was attended by 300 men from around the Diocese. The west end of the church was floodlit for the occasion.

Many groups used the hall both for church and secular purposes. During the second world war the hall was taken over for the war effort and used by the WRVS as a feeding station for troops until 1944. Blood Donor sessions and meetings of Retford Social Circle were held there in 1950s. From 1960 onwards Old Time dances were held regularly. Mr and Mrs Massey of Walesby, at their own expense, organised these with records until 1970. They were succeeded by John and Eunice Gibson.

In 1960 a Young Women’s Fellowship was formed for adults up to the age of 45. They met twice a month and discussed such matters as Christian Action in Society and ‘how to train husbands!’ 48 people attended their ‘Beetle Drive with Hot Dogs’ in 1962. There was an active programme of meetings until 1976 by which time the membership had reduced to 5. A Young Wives group also met in the same period.

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The pattern of social activities shows both the vitality of the church and also its decline. As the members of St Albans grew fewer so it was less and less possible to sustain the strong programme of activities of the 1930s and 1950s. Money too was a concern: fewer people meant a weaker financial base to sustain the building.

In 1996 it was clear that “something had to be done”. St Albans church would seek to develop itself as a local Arts Centre. The hope was that the Arts Centre activities would be run by an autonomous organization that would take over responsibility for the nave (which would be deconsecrated), while the congregation would continue to worship in the chancel.

The scheme was launched with an enthusiastic ‘Arty Party’ in September 1997. Since then a large number of people have attended art exhibitions, plays, craft workshops, music nights, poetry cafes, and concerts.

Many of these events were produced by organizations and individuals from across the Retford community. Church members were involved in many of these activities, and particularly in producing, directing and starring in dramas: Noyes Fludd, Waiting for Godot, Phèdre, and Murder in the Cathedral.

But although arts activities were of good quality and well supported, it became clear that they were not going to be the financial salvation of St Albans Church, and also that the organization was not strong enough to give security for the future. Accordingly it was decided to wind up the Arts Centre activity.

This decision in turn precipitated the decision to close St Albans Church. From its inception there has been insufficient money to match the scale of the building. For several decades the church was thriving, full, with its members sharing friendships and a vital and enthusiastic faith. But those days are gone and the present members are not enough to sustain a church built for several hundred people. With great sadness this chapter of Christian life and witness in Retford is coming to a close.

In this brief history, and in the celebration of St Alban’s centenary, we thank God for all he has done in this place during the last 100 years and we celebrate the people whose faith was nurtured and sustained in this Church. And we look forward to a lesser future without it.

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