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Sunday 12 October 2008 was the Day of Commitment for St Thomas' Development Project.
A year later, 2 November 2009, having obtained all the necessary permissions we were able to start the building work. (The initial work is to check the condition of the ground to be able to put the work out to tender.)
A short Breaking the Ground Service was held the day before, Sunday 1 November 2009.
During our service we:
• Gave thanks for God’s leading and provision to this point in our project.
• Remembered those buried in the affected area prior to the removal / relocation of their headstones.
• Prayed for safety for those involved in construction.
• Symbolically ‘broke the ground’ to mark the commencement of this phase of the project.
Phil Johnson spoke at the service. He told us that thirty five years ago the then Rector, Vyvyan Watts-Jones realised there was need for a new building. A party of eight members of St Thomas' travelled to Wakefield to see a new building that had just been completed. The only two people left from that party now were Myra and he. Phil explained there was good reason for the delay. In the intervening thirty five years we have built a new Parish Centre at St John's, Walton (our daughter church until 2000, when it became a parish of its own), made the Garden of Remembrance outside the West Entrance and re-ordered the interior of St Thomas'.
Order of service
Listen to the service here 
Matt Barnes, Rector, conducts the service
Phil and Myra Johnson turn the first sod of soil
Paul Benson (left), current chair of the Development Project and Graham Brown, a past chair, dig in
As do Robin Dawson, another past chair, and the Rector
Ruth Turner, our Curate, shows us how it is done!
The children are keen as well
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