St James Chapel St James the Less on Spring Bank, was opened on 13 June 1880. It was built at the expense of Mr & Mrs James Mackie, of Cliffe House Crigglestone, Yorkshire and Watford House, New Mills. They also paid for the adjacent Almshouses. These were called The Ingham Almshouses as a memorial to Mrs Mackie's parents, James and Martha Ingham. The architect for the whole complex was W. Swinden Barber of Leeds. The stonemason was Thomas Stafford of New Mills and the joiner was Joseph Hudson of Furness Vale. There were three stained glass windows in the Apse, and in 1888 the four evangelists were added in the two big west windows. These are the work of the eminent Victorian stained glass designer Thomas Kempe, produced in his studio in London. In 1881 Powell Brothers of Leeds decorated the interior church. We can still see the four frescoes on the north wall, the painted roof timbers and apse ceiling. We have lost the other decorations: below the window sills the walls were red: above them was a stencilled pattern and at the top of the walls were 'ribands' with scriptural texts. An organ was installed. In 1955 the church and almshouses were listed as grade II and they are now in the New Mills Conservation area. From 1980 to 2003 the building was shared with the Methodists.

The Potential
It has already been demonstrated that the building will make an ideal venue for arts and community events. It would be able to generate sufficient revenue to cover the running costs and upkeep. Substantial improvements would be undertaken, including disabled access and toilet facilities. It would become a welcoming and vibrant studio-sized arts centre.

The Proposal
A group of people have formed a building preservation trust which wishes to purchase and take over the church building, being responsible for its future and its upkeep. This trust will be able to raise funds for the improvements necessary and safeguard the long-term future of the building.

The Dream Comes Closer:
Negotiators from the St James’ Preservation Trust (the umbrella trust for The Friends) have met a representative from Derby Diocese for discussions over the purchase price of St James’, which has been offered to The Trust when the Diocese closes it as a consecrated place of worship. The Diocese is at present (July 2007) considering its asking price. A sale of the building to the Trust, together with its future as an Arts Centre, has already gained the important support of the Church of England Commissioners. This is one big step closer to the dream of the church building becoming a flourishing Arts Centre for New Mills and the region.

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EXHIBITION: An Arts Centre for New Mills

A colourful and professionally-mounted exhibition has now opened at New Mills Heritage Centre to promote an exciting project and set out plans for a new Arts Centre for the town.

St James’Chapel which is in the Spring Bank Conservation area near the Town Hall and still used weekly for services, is in the process of being closed. Since 2003 it has been used as an attractive venue for arts and community events, with a regular monthly programme of music poetry and drama, as well as hosting events for Buxton Festival Fringe and New Mills Festival.  Several of these events have been completely Sold Out!  However, much work needs to be done to upgrade the building for its future use.

The Challenge
The challenge is to refurbish the Grade II listed building as a multi-purpose arts centre, with disabled access, and purpose-designed facilities, at an estimated cost of £500,000.  A group of interested local people has formed a building preservation trust, registered as a charity, with the aim of raising funds to purchase the building and making the necessary improvements for its new community use, while still respecting its architectural integrity.  Now the Trustees are welcoming a wider involvement and peoples’ ideas.

The Exhibition
Local professional artist Caro Inglis, in partnership with The Friends of St. James’, has designed an exhibition displaying paintings and prints of local landscapes which she hopes to sell, donating a percentage to the St. James’ Project.  Architectural plans for the new centre are shown, and Pam Garside has made an attractive model of how the building might look when it is finished.   Janet Allan has provided the history of St. James with the help of New Mills Local History Society, together with old photographs and press cuttings.

Involving the Community
Carol Taylor Bruce, who has co-ordinated the exhibition, said, "Now is the time to let people see what is planned, to involve them and to tap into their ideas".  Ways in which people can help are set out in the exhibition, which will run until December at New Mills Heritage Centre (admission free).

Said Chairman of the Trust, Philip Kendall: ‘"This is a tremendous opportunity to involve people so that we can work together to provide a new dedicated Arts Centre for the Town, a studio-sized venue for events, local groups and education, which will continue to serve the community of New Mills way into the future".

Enquiries - Philip Kendall, Chair, St. James’ Preservation Trust, 01663 746074

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Festive Piano

Saturday 15 December, 7.30 pm
£5.50 and £4.00 concessions 

Tim Mottershead on piano

A review from Christmas past described this recital of Christmas piano music as “a concert of festive delight”.  Consisting of classical, folk-influenced pieces, and lighter items, inspired by carols, bells, music boxes, and winter landscapes; introduced by seasonal poetry and prose readings.  To include music by Liszt, Nielsen, and Mendelssohn, together with Sleigh Ride, Troika, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, A Christmas Carol from Leslie Bricusse’s Scrooge, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,and even Jethro Tull’s Ring Out Solstice Bells! 

Press review -  “A concert of festive delight…was given by the distin­guished Manchester based pianist Tim Mottershead.  He had planned every detail with the loving care of a flower arranger, with …thought­fully chosen music, pref­aced by appropriate verses of poetry, and introduced with a Victorian-styled programme, engravings and typeface of the period.  Even the familiar works were given a new twist of some kind; it added up to a delightful hour…the very familiar “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson was next, bright­ened up with rich chords in the arrangement for piano…A taste of a Russian winter was to follow, with Prokofiev’s “Troika”, the massive chords…rolled round the church… …In a highly original encore we were to hear a piece for the left hand only, an adaptation of a Der­byshire Folksong by Vaughan Williams. The icing on the cake.”                              Burnley Express, Dec. 2001

Tim Mottershead was born in Cheshire, and studied music at Liverpool Community College (G.Mus), followed by postgraduate research at Aberdeen University (M.Phil).  He has taught piano since 1987, the same year he first met composer-pianist Ronald Stevenson, from whom he feels he has learnt most. From 1994-99 Tim lectured in music at various Further Education Colleges in North West England, whilst also completing a Cert.Ed. 

Tim’s musical interests are wide ranging, having been involved in every conceivable genre from Iraqi Oud music to Gamelan.  He is a composer of more than a 150 pieces, and performs both as a solo pianist and as a member of the award winning Indian group Raga Jyoti who have performed for Ravi Shankar.  He has also undertaken numerous children’s musical workshops on a wide variety of themes, including: Scenes from Childhood; Alice in Wonderland; The Ancient Art of Maypole Dancing; Each Peach Pear Plum; The Jungle Book; Christmas Children; and Harry Potter.

Previous engagements include: Leeds Town Hall; Acton Town Hall, London; Bridgewater Hall, Manchester; the Lowry, Salford; Conway Hall, London; Bramall Hall, Cheshire; Astley Cheetham Art Gallery, Stalybridge, Cheshire; Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire; Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington, Lancashire; Imperial War Museum North, Trafford; Sewerby Hall, Bridlington; Lyme Park, Cheshire; Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire; Eyam Hall, Derbyshire; Leamington Spa Art Gallery; Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire; Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester; festivals, universities, and schools.

Help us to preserve this beautiful church for the benefit of all Will you join The Friends of St James and support us? All we ask for the first year is a donation, and in return you will be sent details of our programme of performances, concerts and other events in the church. Send your donation to: Janet Allan, 10 Dale Road, New Mills, High Peak, SK22 4NW

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