Confirmed at St Luke’s, 1948

As I have said elsewhere I was born and grew up in Peckham Road, I was born in 1936 and spent all of my childhood at St. Luke’s Church. I could come out of my house, run across the road, and into the church grounds, Directly opposite my front door was the old church Hall, and we then went down a small hill to the front door of the Main Church. So I grew up spending most of my childhood at St. Luke’s Church. I always thought it was Protestant, Church of England is how I describe my church upbringing. Yes, since I have grown up, I realise that it could have been described as High Church, because there was incense burning. The church interior was very plain. I would like to know when it was built, I guess it can be described as a modern building. I could understand that the interior was very plain, because my best friend in those days, the war years and just after, was a Roman Catholic, and she took me to her church fairly often. I was confirmed into, what I always think of as the Church of England, on 6th March 1948 by the then Bishop of Birmingham. I still have my little book, “The Hill of the Lord” signed by the then vicar Edward Charles, and stated as “Vicar of St. Luke’s, Kingstanding, and PGSmith, Lay Reader We always called Rev. Charles, just that… Reverand Charles. perhaps during the war years, and just after that was not so important to us ordinary church goers. I just know that God was with me from a very early age, and remained with me always. and I thank the Reverend Charles and others there for my early Christian upbringing. My best friend, in those growing up years, was Betty Norton, her family were Roman Catholics, and I remember a few times when she took me to her church, Old Oscott Hill???? if someone remembers the name of the church, I am sure it will come back to me… Now that church, being Roman Catholic was very different to St. Luke’s Church (in my days there) statue of the Virgin Mary, holy water to dip into I recall those at least without being reminded. nothing like that at “My Church” St. Luke’s… very plain, almost austere by comparison… I loved my church and being with God there.