Hartlepool Civic Society delivers fascinating presentation on the life of Wesley Chapel after collecting photos and memorabilia from ex members

The society welcomed over 60 people to Wesley Church Past and Exciting Future at the Salvation Army in Park Road.

Fran Johnson spoke of the importance of retaining Hartlepool’s local heritage and the society’s delight that the Grade II Wesley was being saved and redeveloped.

Joanne Liddell from Hartlepool Borough Council talked about the current development to turn the building into a boutique hotel.

Olwyn Hart, a member of the civic society, who collected many photographs and memories for the event, gave a presentation on the birth of Wesley Church, which opened in 1873.

Over the next hundred years, many organisations were housed in Wesley Methodist Church. The church had a capacity of 1,200 people, many of whom in the early days had their own box that they had to pay for.

During the Second World War, the church was used by the forces and some memories and articles from that time were given.

Another society member, Frances Wilson, introduced a show of many photographs and memories accompanied by Beryl Claxton's CD of her playing the Wesley’s organ, now in St Joseph's RC Church.

Photos included marriages, anniversaries and the activities of the Wesley’s youth club in the 1960s under Godfrey Robinson, and its annual pantomimes produced by Peter Harle and and his mother Marie.

Contributions came from ex Wesley members from Australia and New Zealand and former youth club members Ray Elliston, Brian Tunstall and David Payne.

During the 1960s and early 70s, the lighting of the town's Christmas tree and carol service in Wesley Square was a highlight.

The Wesley closed in 1973 but it was many years before it was finally emptied and sold for redevelopment.

Jacky Armstrong, from Hartlepool Civic Society, said: “The afternoon was a time of nostalgia for many people and new knowledge for many who were too young to have known Wesley as a church and not as a nightclub or leisure centre or, more recently, a sad burnt out wreck.

"But, exciting times are ahead with the development of the Wesley site into a bijoux hotel and retail centre, together with the lamppost in the grounds.”