The Providence Congregational Church 1956

A Memory of Uxbridge.

"The Providence", as it was commonly known, stood at the corner of Laundry Yard and The Lynch. Built in 1795 with a later facade it was a gem of late georgian "chapel" architecture. You entered through a small burial ground. There was an entrance on each side of the front, one for the ground floor and one for the gallery, each entrance approached by a flight of stone steps. Inside, the colours were a greyish white with neo classical moulding details picked out in gold. The gallery ran 3 sides of the auditorium supported by slim iron pillars. I have never forgotten the one time I attended harvest festival. The bottom ledge of the gallery, as well as the front of the stage, was lined with apples and russet pears. There were loaves made in the shape of wreaths of corn as well as bunches of real corn and barley placed at regular intervals, and garlands made of leaves. There were other things too that I don't remember, but the colours, and above all the smell have stuck in my memory. There were assembly rooms adjoining where Sunday School was held. There were booths around a main area and these were where the different classes sat. There was a stage area too with wooden panels at the back which could be folded aside. Normally they were closed and concealed a parlour. The school was run by a Miss Presley (or Prestley)..small, bright and smiling, and Miss Harris, large and unsmiling, sporting a tweed suit, an eton crop and thick brogues. The latter, surprisingly enough, entertained at the Christmas concerts by playing the musical saw!
I enjoyed Sunday school but hated my Sunday suit. This was consisted of a jacket and short trousers made in a very scratchy mustard and pepper tweed. I always got a rash on the back of my knees where the fabric rubbed. It had wooden buttons that were a tad too big for the button holes and I always got into a sweat trying to button up. There was a large picture that hung at the back of the stage, of Jesus surrounded by children of all nations, the title of which was "Suffer the Little Children", which I didn't understand the meaning of, except that I assumed it had something to do with the agonies caused by that wretched suit!!
My father would collect me at 3 pm and we would walk home via Rockingham Rd. We always stopped to look at the Monkey Puzzle tree, which was in the front garden of a house on the corner (and which miraculously survived the devastation in the 70's and was still there the last time I visited). As a special Sunday treat we stopped at "The Cabin" just by Rockingham Bridge, and only recently opened, to buy a quarter of "Merry Maids" (chocolate covered toffees) which at a shilling a quarter was extravagant but my absolute favourite.
The Providence suffered the same fate as Cross Street, despite various attempts at finding other uses for the building, and was levelled to make way for road development.

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