Parish Church of St Giles Aintree

In The News

Articles About S Giles, Appearing In The Local Press

Church Art - Exhibition is extended

An Art exhibition at an Aintree church has proved so popular it has been extended for a further six weeks.

The display of icons and paintings by artists Roy and Jenny Summerfield at S Giles Church was due to close on April 17.

However, its unprecedented success means the exhibition will remain open until May 31.

Parishioners Jean and Arthur Todd visit the popular icons exhibition at St Giles Church in Aintree

Fr Bruce of S Giles told the Star: "We have had a good number of people coming to see the exhibition and it has certainly made the interior of the church look beautiful as well. I'm so pleased that Roy and Jenny were able to rearrange their dates to give us this extra time."

A display of Easter flowers accompanies the exhibition until it closes. The icon display is open to the public every Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Admission is free. 28.04.05

Andrew and Sarah Walles Press the 'Going Live Button'

S Giles Goes Online - Website launch

An Aintree church has joined the information age with the launch of its website.

Parishioners of S Giles can now pick up the latest information about church events, plus a detailed history of the building, at www.stgilesaintree.org.uk

The website went live after Sarah and Andrew Walles, children of parish priest Fr Bruce Walles, pressed the button which made the information accessible to internet users across the world.

Fr Bruce told the Star: ' It's vital that the church moves with the times and offers up to date information which is easily accessible to people of all ages. The new website will enable us to do just that. Over the next few months many more pages will be added to the site, and links to many other sites of interest will be added. We already have a link to the Maghull and Aintree Star website, which provides a great deal of local news.' 10.02.05

Winds Can't Dent Spirit - Volunteers repair damage

Weekend gales shattered windows at a church in Aintree - but not the spirit of its parishioners. Fr Bruce realised something was wrong at Saint Giles church when he noticed leaves swirling around the pews on Saturday morning.

After discovering large pieces of broken glass, it became clear some of the church windows had been damaged or weakened by heavy winds.

However, help was at hand from St Giles' very own 'G-Squad' team of volunteers, who gave up their day to help repair the damage.

Fr Bruce told the Star, "I can't thank the men enough for giving up their whole day. Some even missed the fotball to help."

Eddie Steel, John Knight - Gregson, Bill Thomason and Rodney Thomson

The repair gang were due to set up an art exhibition before the high winds changed their plans. A local glazier helped with the technical side of the repair work, with 12 windows eventually being replaced.

Fr Bruce continued, "After a whole day's work the church was ready for Sunday's services. The glazier was just amazing and our art exhibition was not affected."

Beryl Hewitson, Churchwardens Ruth Wormald and Kathleen French, and Eddie Steele

Green Fingers - Church to get a new garden

An Aintree church is set to be transformed into a green oasis after receiving a grant of over £23,000 to redevelop its garden.

The Living Spaces fund awarded £23,380 to Saint Giles Church in Aintree Lane to install raised flower beds, a sensory garden for the partially sighted and a new war memorial.

Pupils from nearby Davenhill School will leave a lasting mark on the new garden with a mural titled 'Hands of Love'.

Plans are already complete and available for viewing at the church. The hard labour begins in April with the new garden expected to be completed by September.

Fr Bruce of S Giles told the Star, "We have been given a wonderful opportunity to turn a rather boring and lifeless area into something we hope will benefit the whole community. We have a lot of parents walking through this part of the church grounds, dropping off or picking up their children from school. I hope that, in future, they will be able to take a little time to sit and enjoy the new surroundings."

Many thanks to the members of our Garden Planning Committee: Andrea Connelly, Beryl Hewitson and Eddie Steele and Living Spaces.

S Giles gets to the art of the matter at show!

Divine inspiration helped a group of artists provide pieces for a fundraising exhibition in Aintree.

More than 120 exhibits were on display at Saint Giles Church for its first ever art show. The event was so popular, Parish Priest, Fr Bruce, is planning a display of religious icons and paintings in January.

Exhibition organiser, Margie Gunner, said, "Events like this are a wonderful platform for local artists to show and sell their work. We hope the event will become part of Aintree's social calendar."