ONE hundred years to the day since their church's first service was held, Saltburn Methodists celebrated their centenary a week back Wednesday. Then as now, very likely, the congregation talked before the service about their operations.

It had been the middle of the Crimean War, the government (then as now) accused of breaking its promises.

Closer to home that day, the Newcastle Hoppings ("a heterogeneous collection of strange attractions") was in full swing, Robert Collins was consecrated as Bishop of Selinus - assistant to the "aged" Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle - Jane Bainton of Middlesbrough was given six months hard labour for having the effrontery to attempt suicide (drinking something called sugar of lead, it was said) and Edward Chaytor of Clervaux Castle, Croft-in-Tees, was seriously injured when his motor cycle was in collision with a hay cart in Coniscliffe Road, Darlington.

"It's a wonder he escaped with his neck," The Northern Echo helpfully observed, adding that the horse pulling the hay cart had "a fear of animated machines".

Poor Mr Chaytor's motor bike probably wasn't very clever, either.

There'd been Methodists in Saltburn since 1850, many more arriving with the railway 11 years later.

Early services were held in the platelayers' hut at Saltburn station - the large "No admittance" sign not proving a deterrent - before moving, scripturally, to the stables at the Zetland Hotel and thence back to the railway terminus, and to the first class waiting room.

Though it might have been supposed that there they had found their station, the first Wesleyan chapel was built in Milton Street in 1865, costing £1,200 and holding 300 people. The "magnificent" sum of £14 2s 9d was raised at the opening collection.

In those Victorian days, there wasn't even a proper road between Saltburn and Marske, where the nearest cemetery lay, hearses taken along the beach and funerals conducted not by timetable but by tide table.

The present building, said in the centenary brochure to be "a free treatment of the late Gothic style", cost £6,600, had a 100ft spire and could seat 500. The minister shared the circuit horse, its name sadly unrecorded - probably it was Wesley - but its needs duly noted in the annual accounts.

The church remains "undoubtedly a power for good in Saltburn," adds the brochure.

Maybe 100, probably fewer, were at the centenary service, culmination of a six week celebration. The evening was grey, the sea half hidden in the mist. Though the congregation had much for which to give thanks, it was unlikely that the tourism department was on its knees in gratitude.

Mostly getting on a bit, none present was as old as the church - though Mary Elder, appropriately named and remarkably sprightly, ran it pretty close.

Now 94, still in the choir - "I expect my voice will pack up one day" - she was baptised and married in the church, on which her father had been foreman joiner and where her grandparents also worshipped. "It's my second home, really."

When she was young, said Mary, families came to a Saltburn for a fortnight, helping throng the church on summer Sundays. Now they come for a day.

Proceedings were further enlivened by the energetic Callum Martin - seven-year-old son of the Rev Keith Martin, the minister. Dad wore a green cassock with a yellow cord, son a white cassock with yellow cord.

Though the Methodists don't much go in for elaborate vesting, Callum had been anxious to follow in his father's footsteps. "We started by cutting down one of my shirts, but he wasn't satisfied with that," said Keith.

"We had to go through the ecclesiastical catalogues and find something small enough for him."

Mr Martin led the service, setting the tone by using the phrase "great joy" four times in the first 90 seconds. Among the joys was that the Rev Graham Carter, chair of the Darlington Methodist District - which includes Teesside and most of the dales - had that day been made president-elect of the Methodist Conference.

The Rev John Platts, himself a former Darlington district chair, spoke of the need for change and of the minister who'd been rejected by a church "because he had change written all over his face".

For some people, he added, the very thought of change was threatening. "For some people, the idea of heaven is a Wesley Guild holiday that goes on for ever." We sang The Church's One Foundation and Love Divine All Loves Excelling - to the tune Blaenwern, not Blindworm as the column a few weeks back so foolishly had supposed - and responded to Psalm 84, "How lovely is thy dwelling place", in which verse three read:

The sparrow has found her a home

And the swallow a place where she may lay her young.

The scripture may also apply to pigeons, who so greatly have colonised the church tower of late that a five foot owl was perched up there in order to deter them. It worked for a week, until the pigeons became wiser than the owl was and the effigy was declared redundant.

Afterwards there were three birthday cakes, several balloons and a centennial exhibition recalling everything from Grand Bazaar to Monster Tea Party, from Busy Bees to spelling bees, Helpful Hour to mutual improvement classes.

It had, said Mary Elder, been a memorable six weeks. "A lovely time, a beautiful church, a wonderful celebration."

* The remaining event of Saltburn Methodist Church's centenary celebrations is a concert by the Middleton Festival Choir at 7.30pm on Friday, July 22. Details of the church and its activities on www.communigate.co.uk/ne/smch100