Introduction

March 18^th 2018 marks 80 years since the dedication of St Thomas of Canterbury, Wilbury. To celebrate, the Bishop of St Albans will visit us. He’ll lead us in our worship, and join us for an informal lunch.

The church was built to serve the Wilbury estate, which was in the process of construction, and so next year is also 80 years of the estate.

Oral Histories

As part of the celebrations it would be good to create some oral histories of those early days, hearing from those who were around at the time. Sue Lines of the Wilbury Community Forum has volunteered to co-ordinate this project, with help and equipment loan from the Garden City Collection. But she needs the people. If you were around in those days, and would like to record your memories, please get in touch.

Faith in Wilbury

The strap line for St Thomas’ logo is “Faith in Wilbury” There are stories out there of people who have done great things, or overcome great difficulties, through faith, whether in God, or otherwise. We would like to hear these stories.

Timeline of St Thomas’s

From an early photograph of the church interior, it is clear that the building has developed over the years. Also, many priests have been in charge, each making a unique contribution. It would be good to make a timeline of these and other developments. I will do my best to co-ordinate this.

Timeline of the Wilbury estate

Similarly the estate has seen changes over the years. I’m a relative newcomer, but I remember pre-fabs in Valley Road; just one of many developments. Again, a timeline would be good. Is there anybody out there with a passion to make this?

Archives

It turns out that many of the relevant archives are with Herts County Council. The County Archivist has sent me links to these archives. Who loves getting and organising information online?

If any of this stuff interests you, and you would like to be involved, please email me at peterj.willcox@ntlworld.com

Peter Willcox

St Thomas of Canterbury, Wilbury